miriam

You are going to need a bar or the piece just to the left of the disk in the Ricaar pic.

ArchaicArcane

Is there a mark on the back of part #4 - assuming that the spring is #3 - that looks like something other than a tension disk has been rubbing? Something smaller? Other than the release pin not having something to stop against - it looks almost right...

In the Riccar photo - assuming that the spring is 3rd from the left for reference purposes and the tension disks are 5 and 6 - I think the order goes:

1 inside 2, 3, 5,6, 4 (and that finger will nestle into the next part - preventing movement of the +|- dial), 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.

Does the new tensioner have that cross piece inside the +|- piece, like a Singer tensioner?

I'm trying to think of something that could be substituted for that release pin stop but I'm coming up blank. I had a Singer tensioner that was broken there and tried lots of things but in the end, had to borrow that piece from another tensioner. It might be worth asking the lady if she has a drawer of "spares" where she puts things she finds... and check it.

miriam

Some times a spare part won't work because the pin length will be off if it isn't the right depth. I have made pins out of finish nails before but it does have to have something to hit. Does the Brant tensioner have a bar for thread to pass around just before it goes through the take up lever? The Riccaar has a plate type bar in the parts you have - it is the last pass for thread before the take up lever. The new tensioner does not seem to have a bar or a plate type bar for the thread to pass before the take up lever. The easiest solution would be a whole new nose plate with a working tension.

ArchaicArcane

That's pretty much the problem I had with the 411G with the broken stop. Luckily, I had a tensioner from a compatible machine and was able to mix and match parts to make it look original but work too.

I agree that a simple swap is easiest but is it feasible in this case?

miriam

Another thing that will act like a messed up tension is a messed up foot pressure. Some times all you have to do is,pop its button back down.

miriam

A question has been raised about the post. Some posts have little gear like things and some have little slots. Then there may be a couple out there that are straight with no place for the spring to set into. Usually what I've seen is the ones with a few grooves cut into the pin or the ones with the gear like end. Either of them should accommodate the tension spring.

I messed with one yesterday. It was an old black brother. It looked to me like Igor put a Singer 66 spring in or modified some other spring. The clones with the bar need a long spring. The ones more compact and no bar need a short spring.
The spring should have a little end inside that goes in between the gear like things or it goes into the groove cut into the post. Then these are set with the spring arm pointing down. Tighten up the adjustment screws. I assume you have directions for the little can. If there is no grove Igor may have replaced it or it could be one of the screw in pins which would go between the pin and the can. And the screw in business would have to hold it. It could be the post is so dirty you can't see the cut grove for the spring to go into. Some have one grove most have more.

miriam

The link I tried to put up for this does not work.
CP, were you ever able to rebuild the tension? It looks like parts are all there.

BeachGuy

New to the group and need a little help, please.
I have just purchase a clone Riccar 15. The only problem so far is the Tensioner. It appears to have been taken apart more times than needed and put back together by everybody's friend "Igor". In the photos that you included in the quoted text you stated that you bought a complete, new upper tensioner as shown. Where did you purchase this item. I would like to start off when a new one.
Many thanks in advance,

miriam

Beach, I sent a pm