My Linea has developed a leak around the group. It's hard to get a look at, but it may be coming from between the group cap and the group head. I wanna remove the group cap and check the gaskets.

In the Linea repair manual, in a section regarding the banjo tube, It says

*Remove the 3 6mm allen key screws that secure to cap to the group
*Gently pry the group cap from the group head

My cap seems pretty much welded onto the head. Does the bleed screw need to be removed too? I don't want to snap it in half trying to remove the cap.

Any suggestions for making it easier to remove?

It's quite an old machine

You do not need to remove the bleed screw to remove the group cap. Loosen the three allen head screws about 1 or 2 turns. GENTLY and uniformly tap the underside of the cap using a short piece of a hardwood dowel and a small hammer.
OR
Get 2 or 3 of these (4" ratchet bar clamp/spreader) and use their spreader function between the group cap and the bayonet ring. Be gentle.



OR

Use several threaded rods and nuts with surface protection and use them to exert a "spreading force" between the parts.

Thanks =)

No luck so far, but I'll try more when some help arrives (only working with one hand right now)

I tried typing zip-ties to each of the 3 holes on the group cap (after the screws have been removed, along with the bayonet ring.

I tried pulling (not too hard) all 3 at the same time (to spread the force), but it didn't budge at all. Thoughts? I have no idea how easy of difficult it should be to remove it?

btw, why do I have to be so gentle? What's at risk of damage?

In the end I removed the 3 bolts, removed the bayonet ring and then using a piece of dowel and a hammer, gently tapped at the cap from below, constantly changing position to distribute the force.

Fortunately the paper gasket was broken. It's reassuring to know it's a simple gasket problem and not something serious. And I FINALLY get to see under the group cap, to assess the scale in my (2nd hand) machine

The paper gasket almost always breaks when you remove the group cap, so that probably wasn't the cause of the leak. But it's possible the paper gasket had dried out enough to leak, or more likely, the rubber o-ring is shot. I would replace all the gaskets, rubber and paper.