Brasilia Portofino restoration
-
- Posts: 11
- Joined: 14 years ago
Inspired by a number of beautiful restorations I decided to dive right into a project, going from an AeroPress to a lovingly abused heat exchanger machine. Studying the plumbing, documenting things and figuring out how it works has been an extremely interesting process. Well, until last night. It looks like my counter hold on a particularly green/blue fitting wasn't good enough and a little crack appeared around the fitting leading to the hot water dispenser:
I suppose the best test is to put everything back together and and see if this is really a problem, but, I'm really hoping, maybe naively, that this is a crack in the plating and not the solder. Any thoughts? Do people see this when taking apart older machines? Is there someone in the seattle area anyone recommends if this needs fixing?
I don't even think it got torqued that hard. I was holding the elbow with a second wrench on the little raised section that's actually the logo but, obviously, the mechanical connection wasn't good enough.
Other than that, the machine itself is complete and pulled one abysmal shot prior to disassembly. Water was pouring out of the grouphead and the steam wand valve didn't really want to seal so I didn't spend much time other than making sure all the plumbing, solenoids and gauges more or less worked (no cracked HX, etc...). The grouphead gasket was a little scary when I got it apart (in many many pieces):
I suppose the best test is to put everything back together and and see if this is really a problem, but, I'm really hoping, maybe naively, that this is a crack in the plating and not the solder. Any thoughts? Do people see this when taking apart older machines? Is there someone in the seattle area anyone recommends if this needs fixing?
I don't even think it got torqued that hard. I was holding the elbow with a second wrench on the little raised section that's actually the logo but, obviously, the mechanical connection wasn't good enough.
Other than that, the machine itself is complete and pulled one abysmal shot prior to disassembly. Water was pouring out of the grouphead and the steam wand valve didn't really want to seal so I didn't spend much time other than making sure all the plumbing, solenoids and gauges more or less worked (no cracked HX, etc...). The grouphead gasket was a little scary when I got it apart (in many many pieces):
-
- Posts: 11
- Joined: 14 years ago
Took a closer look at the flow meter (honestly expecting the worse) and it seems to spin free. I'll want to try it with a syringe and a little water to make sure, but, it seems to be fine. It works as an opto-interrupter. Simple and completely sealed with none of the electronic bits ever needing to see water. The same circuit boards are used for TX and RX. On end, the individual blades can be seen:
The blue/white wires go to a LED with ~1V forward voltage. The tab marking pin one is just visible next to the blue wire. There isn't a dropping resistor on the circuit board so that probably happens back in the electronics. It also explains why the brief wiring diagram on the control boxes refers to that input as "TX." I expect this is driven by a low, constant DC voltage.
The red/black wires go to an photodiode with a forward voltage of ~2.3V which goes completely open with my desk lamp turned off. The black wire is grounded and the red wire is probably pulled up internally. Operating correctly I would expect to see a nice square wave on the 'scope as the water spins the wheel. This is attached to "RX" on the control box.
One of the black caps was all the way off when the machine got to me and that may have explained why the doser didn't seem to work. I had all the panels off for it's brief test run and who knows how much light leakage there was. That said, maybe the control box is unhappy. It was able to dispense and stop and the lights made sense, so at least it can control one solenoid. Anyone know if this can be can be programmed for volume?
The blue/white wires go to a LED with ~1V forward voltage. The tab marking pin one is just visible next to the blue wire. There isn't a dropping resistor on the circuit board so that probably happens back in the electronics. It also explains why the brief wiring diagram on the control boxes refers to that input as "TX." I expect this is driven by a low, constant DC voltage.
The red/black wires go to an photodiode with a forward voltage of ~2.3V which goes completely open with my desk lamp turned off. The black wire is grounded and the red wire is probably pulled up internally. Operating correctly I would expect to see a nice square wave on the 'scope as the water spins the wheel. This is attached to "RX" on the control box.
One of the black caps was all the way off when the machine got to me and that may have explained why the doser didn't seem to work. I had all the panels off for it's brief test run and who knows how much light leakage there was. That said, maybe the control box is unhappy. It was able to dispense and stop and the lights made sense, so at least it can control one solenoid. Anyone know if this can be can be programmed for volume?
-
- Posts: 166
- Joined: 15 years ago
Joel,
I'm wondering if you could use an air compressor and a couple of fittings to test that crack versus re-assembling. I'm thinking of doing that myself as an initial pressure check after I get my machine put back together. I'm hoping with you that the crack is non-consequential. But it looks like it would be a quick fix for a talented welder/brazer.
Do you have "before" pictures of your machine. I like doing before and after comparisons.
I will be paying attention to your thread and if I can offer any insight, even with my limited experience, I will.
Well good luck on your restoration!
Mike
I'm wondering if you could use an air compressor and a couple of fittings to test that crack versus re-assembling. I'm thinking of doing that myself as an initial pressure check after I get my machine put back together. I'm hoping with you that the crack is non-consequential. But it looks like it would be a quick fix for a talented welder/brazer.
Do you have "before" pictures of your machine. I like doing before and after comparisons.
I will be paying attention to your thread and if I can offer any insight, even with my limited experience, I will.
Well good luck on your restoration!
Mike
- doubleOsoul
- Posts: 1627
- Joined: 16 years ago
Joel,
I'll be paying attention to your thread as well. As I mentioned in my La Victoria Arduino thread yesterday, I landed a Brasilia CL that needs work and a portafilter.
It's a:
CY America Del (single group)
Matr# 33674
W 1800
V110
I emailed Brasilia USA to find out its 'provenance; - date of manufacture- all those good things.
Can't wait to see your photos.
I'll be paying attention to your thread as well. As I mentioned in my La Victoria Arduino thread yesterday, I landed a Brasilia CL that needs work and a portafilter.
It's a:
CY America Del (single group)
Matr# 33674
W 1800
V110
I emailed Brasilia USA to find out its 'provenance; - date of manufacture- all those good things.
Can't wait to see your photos.
www.soulsidecoffee.com LMWDP #354
- Bluecold
- Posts: 1774
- Joined: 16 years ago
I think that pressure testing with air is a bad idea. If it blows, it blows hard. Pressure testing with water is much safer since water is non-compressible. If it blows, it'll just make a bit of noise and leak water.
LMWDP #232
"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death I Shall Fear No Evil For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing."
"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death I Shall Fear No Evil For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing."
-
- Posts: 166
- Joined: 15 years ago
Roeland
Thanks for the input. I will certainly not do the air compressor on my machine. That's why I pay close attention to these threads.
Thank You
Mike
Thanks for the input. I will certainly not do the air compressor on my machine. That's why I pay close attention to these threads.
Thank You
Mike
-
- Posts: 11
- Joined: 14 years ago
I was thinking about the compressor option as i was headed into work this morning. There's a non-stock looking barbed fitting for the drain on the bottom and I could either use that to attach the air compressor or, if someone has "upgraded" me to pipe threads, just attach a spare air chuck fitting. Then I just need to assemble a few bits and pieces outside the chassis to seal it up. The heater gasket didn't survive removal (very very hardened) but, I could make one out of cork, cardboard or something in the mean time. The pressure isn't that extreme and it doesn't need to hold temperature.
I'm not super nervous about things blowing up. I have a regulator on my compressor so I can just start at a low pressure, spray the "crack" with soapy water and repeat until I get to operating pressure plus a safety margin or I start seeing bubbles. I'll point the business end away from me just to be sure. Compressible or not having the fitting leave the boiler will be a bad night no matter what's driving it. Another option would be to partially fill it with water and add compressed air on top of that.
I have some before pictures - everything is getting an exploded view as it comes apart. I think the chunk of grouphead gasket is the most illustrative so far unless you want to count the complete random collection of metric and inch fasteners. The switch in the control box was completely bypassed with wirenuts (more pictures to come) so on/off was done by just pulling the plug. Unplugging the 1600-some W heater while on generates quite a spark. The second time I actually waited until it had cycled off before pulling the plug.
I'm not super nervous about things blowing up. I have a regulator on my compressor so I can just start at a low pressure, spray the "crack" with soapy water and repeat until I get to operating pressure plus a safety margin or I start seeing bubbles. I'll point the business end away from me just to be sure. Compressible or not having the fitting leave the boiler will be a bad night no matter what's driving it. Another option would be to partially fill it with water and add compressed air on top of that.
I have some before pictures - everything is getting an exploded view as it comes apart. I think the chunk of grouphead gasket is the most illustrative so far unless you want to count the complete random collection of metric and inch fasteners. The switch in the control box was completely bypassed with wirenuts (more pictures to come) so on/off was done by just pulling the plug. Unplugging the 1600-some W heater while on generates quite a spark. The second time I actually waited until it had cycled off before pulling the plug.
- doubleOsoul
- Posts: 1627
- Joined: 16 years ago
Quick update from Brasilia USA:
Received this email this morning:
Hi Cheri,
I would love to help you with your machine and getting it back to running condition. Is there any chance you can e-mail me a picture of the machine so I can know exactly which model you have?
Thanks
Jeff
Jlistino@brasiliausa.com
http://www.brasiliausa.com
He didn't say he has parts, he said he'd love to help. Bam! Customer won!
Here's a photo of the Brasilia - sorry it's a little bit of a blurr fest. It ain't pretty!
Received this email this morning:
Hi Cheri,
I would love to help you with your machine and getting it back to running condition. Is there any chance you can e-mail me a picture of the machine so I can know exactly which model you have?
Thanks
Jeff
Jlistino@brasiliausa.com
http://www.brasiliausa.com
He didn't say he has parts, he said he'd love to help. Bam! Customer won!
Here's a photo of the Brasilia - sorry it's a little bit of a blurr fest. It ain't pretty!
www.soulsidecoffee.com LMWDP #354
-
- Posts: 11
- Joined: 14 years ago
That looks exactly like my control panel - keep me in the loop if there's some way to program the volumes.
-
- Posts: 7
- Joined: 15 years ago
Congrats on the upgrade to the Portofino. I have been loving my rebuilt Portofino. I hope the crack turns out to not be an issue but I can tell you that the plating on the boiler is microscopically thin. Most of the plating on my mine dissolved off very quickly when I had it soaking in a decalcifying solution.
I have a small collection of pdfs that I can email you (parts lists and manuals). You can program the dosing functions very easily. Press and hold the STOP button, then still holding the STOP button press the CONT button. The lights on the key pad will flash to let you know it is ready to program. Press one of the dosing buttons and when it pumps out the volume you want, press STOP. Press STOP to end programming or repeat the last step to program the other buttons.
I have a small collection of pdfs that I can email you (parts lists and manuals). You can program the dosing functions very easily. Press and hold the STOP button, then still holding the STOP button press the CONT button. The lights on the key pad will flash to let you know it is ready to program. Press one of the dosing buttons and when it pumps out the volume you want, press STOP. Press STOP to end programming or repeat the last step to program the other buttons.