Originally Posted by
miriam
Can you shoot a pic of the tension with the missing piece?
Yes, I will do that later on this afternoon. I'm 99.9% sure that it's the same as the one that I pictured except for that additional piece.
Originally Posted by
miriam
The little part the arrow is pointing at is just a little stop for the pin. The other tension may have some other type of part but the function would be to stop the pin/release the tension.
If anything, I would replace the check spring on the one in the picture.
That would make sense that it is a stop for the pin. Now that I think of it that little 'stop' bar is usually on the "plus/minus' indicator and I just assumed it was to help keep everything straight.
I am going to disassemble the new tensioner (very carefully) to see how it all goes together, before I put it in the machine. I learn something new each time I have a problem with one of these old beauties
.
I was of the generation of Home Ec kids who were told to NEVER touch the tension knob. I understand, now, why the teachers didn't want them fooled with but it took 40+ years for me to get over the fear of touching it!!