Basic Preventative Maintenance For Class 53300 & 53400 Machines

The Union Special Corporations class 53300 & 53400 machines are single and double needle multiple step chainstitch zig-zag machines. These machines are made to do a variety of decorative stitches referred to as Picoetta, Scalloped edging & Fagoting operations. They are ideal for sewing light to medium weight materials on both knit & woven fabrics. The 53300 & 53400 machines produce stitch type 404 modified with a stitch cycle range of 5 to 8 cycles per inch.

As with all machines, proper maintenance is important for machine longevity and continued product quality. The following maintenance should be performed at least every six months or 2000 operating hours.

1. Drain the old oil from the machine.
    

2. Swing down the left cloth plate and front swing down cover on their hinges, remove oil guard and remove the main cloth plate so that you can thoroughly clean the machine. Remove all lint, threads and other foreign materials from these areas, a small brush, rag or compressed air is helpful.
    

3. Remove the oil reservoir covers and use a rag to remove excess oil and other contaminants that could be in the oil reservoir chamber. Also replace the gaskets if they are cracked, torn or have dry rot.
    

4. Check for left to right shake in the crankshaft and remove any excess movement. Also check for wear in the worm gear and replace if worn. The machine should turn freely with no shake or binds.
    

5. Check for left to right shake in the feed rocker and for excessive shake in the feed mechanism. Replace any worn parts as necessary. This too should move freely without shake or binds.
    

6. Remove the head cover and remove any lint or other foreign materials that may be in this area. This too can been done using a small brush, rag or compressed air. Also check the head cover gasket and replace if necessary.
    

7. Remove the top cover and check for shake, binds and wear in the multistep zig zag mechanism. Repair or replace as necessary, also check the top cover gasket and replace if necessary.
    
8. Check the various thread contact surfaces, such as eyelets, needles, loopers, throat plate stitch tongues, needle guards, and take-up for nicks, burrs or worn areas, and replace as necessary.  Worn parts in these areas can cause skips, malforms and inconsistent stitches. Also make sure that all of these areas are cleaned thoroughly.
    
9. After the above maintenance has been performed, replace all of the covers and gaskets, place the machine on a level surface and fill the machine with new oil, (Union Special Spec 175 is recommended) until the oil is visible between the two red lines on the oil sight gauge.
    
10. Once the machine has been properly filled with oil it is advisable to run the machine slowly for a few minutes to let the oil flow to the critical areas. Also if the needle bar was wiped dry, it is advisable to put a few drops of oil on it prior to running the machine. NE

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