It takes about 3 times as long to get 8 ounces of water from this recently rebuilt T1 as it does from a newer T1, group and water wand. I assume it's a pump issue. Can this be fixed by disassembling and cleaning the old Rotoflow or do I need a new pump?

Pump would have no effect on the water wand. It is fed from boiler pressure not pump pressure. Have you taken the group cap off to check the filter and jet? The Elektra jet is 0.9mm, it only takes a speck to partially clog it.

cannonfodder wrote:Pump would have no effect on the water wand.

Oh yeah, not sure where my head was on that one, but it did lead to finding a tiny leak in the steam pipe fitting at the boiler.

cannonfodder wrote:Have you taken the group cap off to check the filter and jet?

The jet was clear, even though there was no filter.

The wand and group pressure problems must be caused by two unrelated issues. Thanks Dave.

That is odd. You should have a thick wire mesh doughnut around the jet riser to filter out any debris that gets pumped up from the HX or thermosiphon loop. It could be a small fleck of something that gets pumped up, partially blocks the jet and when brewing is finished falls loose and drops back down the thermosiphon loop. Slim chance but I would keep that filter around the group jet riser.

Are you hitting full pressure with a blank basket in the group? Could the pump have gotten turned way down and the bypass is opening under nothing more than the back pressure from the plumbing in the machine? You would have very low brew pressure if that was the case, probably not but a couple of bars. You could also unscrew the bypass valve from the pump and just check it for scale/gunk and reseat it to see if anything happens.

Here is an Elektra Hydraulics diagram for you courtesy of Brad Seaman:

Exactly what is the flow you are getting out of the grouphead? My guesstimate would be upwards of 500 ml/minute given the gicleur size (0.90 mm) in most (if not all) Elektra's of this model or similar.

And, BTW, on a different subject - I would love to get a pdf of the Elektra manuals in which they describe their (outrageous) flush procedure - erics@erols.com

Email it to me as well and I'll host it somewhere for everybody.

cannonfodder wrote:That is odd. You should have a thick wire mesh doughnut around the jet riser to filter out any debris that gets pumped up from the HX or thermosiphon loop.

Not so odd considering how much work this machine's looks like its had, most of it not quality work. The filter screen at the intake hose fitting was also missing.

cannonfodder wrote:It could be a small fleck of something that gets pumped up, partially blocks the jet and when brewing is finished falls loose and drops back down the thermosiphon loop. Slim chance but I would keep that filter around the group jet riser.

Can it be flushed without the gicleur and group cap before reassembly?

cannonfodder wrote:You could also unscrew the bypass valve from the pump and just check it for scale/gunk and reseat it to see if anything happens.

It was a little dirty, but not too bad

cannonfodder wrote:Are you hitting full pressure with a blank basket in the group? Could the pump have gotten turned way down and the bypass is opening under nothing more than the back pressure from the plumbing in the machine? You would have very low brew pressure if that was the case, probably not but a couple of bars.

I ordered the wire mesh doughnut and will test pressure with the blind basket once that filter is in place.

erics wrote:Exactly what is the flow you are getting out of the grouphead? My guesstimate would be upwards of 500 ml/minute given the gicleur size (0.90 mm) in most (if not all) Elektra's of this model or similar.

The 2003 T1 gets 8 ounces of water from the group in 15 seconds, the 1993 T1, less than 4 ounces in 15 seconds.

erics wrote:And, BTW, on a different subject - I would love to get a pdf of the Elektra manuals in which they describe their (outrageous) flush procedure - erics@erols.com

Done, Stuggi too.

My cold 2000 Elektra T1 takes 19 seconds for 8 oz of water to flow out the group with no portafilter. If I remember, I'll do the same test tomorrow morning when it's hot.

However my machine may not have the original pump according to some who have looked at my restoration pictures.

Mark

Fullsack wrote:Done, Stuggi too.

My email seem to have filtered it out, is the file over 10 MB? If that's the case, could you or erics put it on something like rapidshare?