Our Montgomery Ward sewing machine is about 40 years old but still looks and runs good except now the upper thread tension knob does not work. The tension disks are mounted on a hollow splined pen. The groves of the spline catch the end of a coil spring that hooks the thread. The hollow splined shaft turns freely but it seems to me it should not turn in order to tighten the tension disks. What is supposed to keep the hollow pen from turning? The spline engages the coil spring but the spring is not strong enough to keep the hollow pen from turning.

Bruce Kelsey, September 2008

Hello Bruce,
The tension pin should be fixed, if you open the face plate you will see a sunken screw, that has probably come loose, either that ot the tension pin is an acutal screw in so make sure that is screw in all the way first.

drivewithken@blueyonder.co.uk, September 2008