I don't remember about the tension discs...I don't have one here right now to check, maybe someone with a machine on hand can look and tell you. Just my experience with fixing these up, I don't think they should be "spooned"...it won't hurt anything to take them off and put them back to back, then try sewing with it...most tension discs that I have seen are back to back..smooth surface touching smooth surface...they have to be this way so the thread won't bind or snag...it is the tightening of the spring that creates pressure on the 2 discs, so there is tension on the thread, but if they are spooned it just doesn't sound correct to me. Donna