Thanks to all of you for trying to help. It seems crazy to me to have to buy a new tension assembly because there is no source available from Kenmore on the order of the pieces it is made up of. I have it back together and it is working now, just kept re-assembling it in different orders till I found one that worked. IT has a couple of extra little washers that don't exist in the vintage singers, but the diagrams helped. I wish every manufacturer would consider the consumer as competent to do minor repairs and include that in the owners manual. I would be MORE inclined to buy an appliance or machine that included a good trouble shooting section!