How to Time a Toyota ESP 9100 Embroidery Machine

In this video, we walk through how to time a Toyota ESP 9100 embroidery machine. We begin by removing the needle case cover, inside plate, and bobbin case. Next, we place the machine into test mode by opening the small door on the side of the control panel and gently flipping the bottom dip switch next to DSW1 toward the back of the machine. After turning the machine on, the control panel will display test mode. We press Set once, arrow down to Main, press Set again, and enter the main test screen.

To display the main shaft degree, we execute a trim cycle. After trimming, the machine shows the shaft degree, and the home position should be between 101° and 101.9°. To check timing, we turn the handwheel on the right side of the machine until the needle bar is lowered and the tip of the rotary hook is directly behind the needle. Proper timing on this machine is 201°, with an allowable range of plus or minus 3°. If the rotary hook is directly behind the needle between 198° and 204°, the machine is timed properly.

If the timing falls outside that range, we retime the machine by rotating the handwheel and loosening the three screws behind the rotary hook. These screws should be loosened, not removed, usually about two and a half to three turns. Once all three screws are loose, the rotary hook should move freely. We then rotate the handwheel in one direction only and set the shaft as close to 201° as possible, with the rotary hook tip positioned to the right side of the needle. We hold the wheel tightly in place and use a 1-inch office clip over the presser foot under the spring to keep the needle bar locked down.

With the machine held at 201°, we position the rotary hook tip directly behind the needle from left to right. To check the front-to-back position, we place a small piece of backing on the left side of the rotary hook case so the needle position is easier to see. The rotary hook tip should be approximately 1/10 to 3/10 of a millimeter from the needle. If needed, we gently tap the rotary hook with a screwdriver to move it slightly. After confirming both left-to-right and front-to-back alignment, we finger-tighten the first screw, remove the clip, and tighten the remaining screws. We then replace the cover and needle plate, turn the machine off, return the dip switch to its original position, and resume sewing.