G'day Guys, I have Bezzera BZ40 I have rebuilt from a basket case however am having trouble with a fitting at the inlet to the heat exchanger consistently leaking. The part number on the parts list is "POS 16 STRAIGHT FITTING 1/8"G X M12 OT 5302006 F 1471". I'm using loctite 567 thread sealer to seal that fitting to the heat exchanger but after awhile in service it will begin leaking when put under heavy load (eg back flushing).

I wonder if THOSE WHO KNOW ABOUT BEZZERA MACHINES have come across this before and what was done to eliminate the problem? I can't see any form of gasket or seal on the parts diagram so I'm also wondering if this fitting (copper) is designed to distort when first fitted, much the same as a copper gasket, hence is a "one time only" type fitting.

I must admit this problem is a PITA as it's been ongoing.

Pete

I rebuilt a BZ35, which is the little brother to the BZ40. I have had excellent results sealing this type of fitting with Teflon plumber's tape. For straight-thread fittings like this I wrap a thick layer of tape around the fitting near the hexagonal part. The Teflon acts like a squishy washer, deforming to create a seal when the fitting is tightened. It is my understanding that CA glues and sealants don't work very well at high temperature and with exposure to water.

The earlier Bezerras have not appeared frequently in US postings. There is a strong presence in Australia however. When I was using the Bezzera regularly http://www.coffeesnobs.com.au/ was a good source for information.

ethorson wrote:I rebuilt a BZ35, which is the little brother to the BZ40. I have had excellent results sealing this type of fitting with Teflon plumber's tape. For straight-thread fittings like this I wrap a thick layer of tape around the fitting near the hexagonal part. The Teflon acts like a squishy washer, deforming to create a seal when the fitting is tightened. It is my understanding that CA glues and sealants don't work very well at high temperature and with exposure to water.

It's been a while since I've worked on the machine so can't recall if I used PTFE tape on that particular fitting, probably have, since it's a lot less messy than the Loctite. Loctite 567 is particularly designed for this type of application however their technical help advised it was borderline and 577 would be better. All I know is that I'm getting sick of pulling and repairing it

Hal, yes I was very active there and provided quite a bit of assistance on that forum regarding Bezzeras myself over the past few years, however I got a bit sick of the forum being nothing more than a mouth piece to flog beans and "sponsors'" products. At one stage it was little more than an "infomercial" in my eyes. It's Andy's site and he can run it any way he likes, but I'm not about to spend my valuable time trying to help others, only to have posts savagely edited so they make absolutely no sense simply because they mentioned a supplier of parts that none of the "sponsors" supply. The majority of BB have sponsors paying the bills in one way or the other but I've never seen anything like that before and don't care to be a part of it. I'm more than happy to continue to buy beans from Andy but sadly as long as he maintains that bizarre policy have no interest in the associated BB. Sorry for the rant but it's pretty sad in my eyes, and I know many of the "sponsors" there don't even agree with it!! HB has an international audience and in my experience more knowledgeable readers.

Pete