I have an elna 7000. The rotary hook is not turning and I cannot figure out how to open it up to see if it needs to be cleaned

Hi Colin, I'm Julie. The noise you're experiencing could be caused by one of the following
"1) Dust/Lint in the feed dog_________Clean machine
2) Lint in the hook_________________Clean machine
3) Thread caught in the hook________Disassemble hook and clean"

Hope this helps you. Regards, Julie :)

Appears parts are the same.
Elna 7000 9000

Yes it is a rotary machine. The foot you bought may not be the correct one for your machine. Mostly all machines are now horizontal rotary hook machines, but they don't necessarily fit ALL of those machines, it may be for a certain brand of machine.

Best bet is to bring your machine when you buy a foot so you can try it out.

here is a link for a manual

Instruction Manual Elna 7000 Computer


Elna 7000 Instruction Manual


Elna 7000 Sewing machine instruction manual

I'm pretty sure these have a wick in the rotary hook under the black plastic bobbin holder where the bobbin sits. Everything else is nylon gears or designed to be lubed during your annual recommended service by an Elna technician.

You can oil the wick yourself (don't do what I did and pull it out with tweezers, dooh). Take out the bobbin holder black bit (your manual should cover this in cleaning) and see if there is a depression/hole in the middle of the metal rotary hook. If so, just put a drop of oil in there once every couple of months.

More important is to clean out the rotary hook well regularly and everywhere else in there, just use the little brush to collect the lint, then wipe it off on a piece of cotton fabric waste to clean the brush, then clean a bit more until no lint remains. Now put the bobbin holder/case back into position lining up the marker point against the stopper. Done.

Hope this makes sense to you and matches what your machine looks like. Happy Sewing, Tally Girl

According to the manual you just clean the rotary hook area. You can lift out the bobbin holder and clean under it. These machines are different to a mechanical machine and have four different motors in them.

Link to the manual is here http://www.arizonaexpressionz.com/elna_instruction_manuals/DIVA_9000_8000.pdf

The service manual refers to lubrication as follows:

"16. When dismantling the rotary hook (left turn screw ) or replacing it, the boring of the hook, its pinion as well as the 2 thread release cams must be lubricated with Supergllss oil (Renotac) 458'180.
17. Generally, if not mentioned otherwise, the following hints may be of help for lubricating
- Use Tectyl oil 458'170 where only metallic parts are implemented, i.e. bushings.
- Use Supergllss (Renotac) 458'180 where metallic parts are working together with parts of synthetic material.
- Use Supergliss or Silicon oil 803'531 where only synthetic parts are in friction with each other.
- Do not use Molykote DX grease 458'460 (white) on parts made of Lexan like shells or handles.
- In these places, you may use Silicon grease 802'940 as well as on slides, pivots and similar friction points. "
However, I wouldn't dismantle the rotary hook unless you have experience with sewing machine repairs, being computerised these machines are quite different to a standard mechanical machine.

This image shows that you need to oil the needle bar bearings and the rotary hook area. Also, always brush clean the rotary hook area after each use as keeping lint ouf of moving metal parts will prolong the life of any sewing machine and let the oil do its job.

Also, use good quality clear sewing machine oil, just a drop in the points indicated.

Have you changed the needle and perhaps put it in backwards? this would prevent stitches from forming as the rotary hook goes around.

However, worst case, would be that the timing is out and may need to visit the mechanic to resolve if this is the case.

You can obtain one of these from www.sewingpartsonline.com, not sure if you mean the cam stack gear or the hook pinon gear down under the rotary hook but both are available, liks are http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/cam-drive-gear-elna-416340.aspx

or http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/hook-drive-gear-elna-star-11-sewing-machine.aspx

If you want to install yourself you may want to join the Yahoo group Elna Heirlooms, they share lots of information there on these Swiss made Elnas.

Problem solved - I have a useful son! he took off the casing & cleaned 'circuits' . Now works fine. Wendy