My Cimbali Junior has been a good friend to me for 15 years now but it has recently been reluctant to deliver. About for years ago I called an ambulance and had it taken to the Cimbali hospital for a check up. Surgery was required and performed by a student Cimbali specialist who lost many of the screws and even a complete body part.
As a result the machine hemorrhaged and continued to leak internally since that time. The bottom pan which forms an important part of the "structural integrity of the machine" has become rusted completely through. This became apparent after one of it's legs became detached.
I love this machine dearly and rather than buy a "new" machine I have decided to do a complete make over on account of it's having delivered excellent service in it's lifetime.
I would like to hear from other Cimbali owners who have done similar extensive work on such machines. I've never performed this operation before so any advice will be of benefit.
I expect that I shall post updates with regard to progress from time to time but in the meantime I've included a photo of my best friend which was taken just prior to admission.

Shame, I hope all goes well, these can be tough times:)

Your gauge looks to be in better shape than mine...

Sorry to hear about your issues, but look on the positive side of things: there are few appliances as easy to work on as the old Juniors. Parts are fairly available and there are few complicated connections. It will give you a better knowledge and appreciation for how it works. Of course, downtime can be awful and frame repairs typically require the intervention of a metal shop.

Plenty of support will be found around here if you make a go of it. But, most importantly, what will you do for caffeine while the Junior is sidelined? Every house needs two machines for just this reason.

I will not be going short of caffeine. This is my backup at the moment. I have owned this machine for about four years. I recently brought it home because my workshop got broken into and the smartest burglar in the world struggled to get the 3 foot tall machine through a 2 foot pane of broken glass prior to bring nabbed by the Old Bill. (his hand print remains on the upper section)
If anyone is able to date this machine for me I would be grateful..........?

So far the Cimbali rebuild is shaping up well. The doctors have confirmed that the cancer was quite severe but the surgery has brought some success.
I have completely stripped the machine and folded a new bottom pan (2mm aluminium). Placement of the components on the new pan is proving to be a bit more complex than I first thought because I do'nt want to be getting new piping when the old ones are in perfectly good shape.
The new (and old) parts are looking splendid and I'm immpressed with the way that they all buff up.

That new pan looks great. As does the replacement. I can't imagine trying to carry that out of a window. Of course, I can't imagine breaking into someone's shop either... No eagle on top? Looks like a Victoria Arduino type to me.

I am posting a picture of the pressurestat on my Cimbali Junior (D/1) in the hope that some one will be able to tell me if I can exchange this particular pressurestat with one that is maybe a little more compact. You will notice that the exsisting switch has no cover and that is how it realed it's self when I stripped the machine.
I expect that a new switch would'nt be such a bad thing anyway.

Seen just now this restore of an old Junior.
How are things going on?

Two years ago I made the same; replaced pressurestat, heather, heat exchanger cartridge (was filled up with scale), security valve, vacuum valve, etc, etc. It was my first rebuilt, but I'm happy with the result.