So I found a decent looking Livietta on ebay. It had a white cover which is what I was looking for so decided to take the plunge. It worked when it arrived, had a cut up powercord and some rust.

I took it to a local shop and they sandblasted it and all the frame components came out pretty well









RAS sent me some insulation and with his help, I got the thing back together







Took the stainless to a place that did electroplating, but it honestly didn't do much. I didn't want to re-chrome the group head, that was in pretty decent shape, as was the other flat pieces so I just cleaned them and left them alone.

So now the troubleshooting begins.

At first I couldn't get steam, that was solved when I reattached the steam wand tube to the boiler.

I did all the gaskets, and the top thread of the water tank doesn't seem to fit quite right, I put some white tape on this so it would make a seal. The seal on the machine when it came in was fine, but the new one does not work as well.

The machine is heating fine, but I am getting a leak at the top of the HX plate, and I cannot find the right replacement seal.



I'm also getting a small leak where the HX connects to the top tube.



Once I get these things ironed out, I can post some pictures of the final product.

This wasn't too hard, but I'm not there yet so am leery of jinxing it.

You can see it in an almost finished state here, I'll post again once it is fixed and if anyone know what seals I need for these 2 areas would appreciate it.

This is where we stand for the moment:

http://www.orphanespresso.com/HX-3-Way-..._1959.html
this is the seal for the HX. You need two of the bigger ones so order two sets of those seals I linked to. One goes between the HX on the block and another is hidden between the hx tube and the boiler. That one can take some jimmying to get to. Descaled everything and then wiggle the HX out the top with your fingers. Don't use a hammer because if you puncture it, you are in trouble.

that's very helpful thank you

i had one in there but it got mangled, i must have not had it sitting well when i reattached it

so one large one goes between the two top brass plates? or two there and then another somewhere else?

i am only getting a leak right where the top 4 bolts attach, so if you are looking down from the machine from the top the leak comes from the space just next to the boiler tube

i descaled the boiler, the inside wasn't too bad after i cleaned the heating element, but the water was a light blue once I dumped it, i descaled the HX as well, but perhaps b/c of temp that one seemed less effective

i'll order the seals now so I can get on with it, i also mistakenly ordered a 54mm portafilter gasket but it is loose, so the 49mm must be for this machine

my serial # indicates a 1991 build

thanks again for the help!

I would be able to tell what group size your machine is with a of the group head. 54mm slants out more than the 49mm. Also just measure the inner diameter of your filter basket and that should tell you. I don't think a "loose" gasket fit means it's the other size. I would assume if you got the wrong size, it would not fit at all. My 49mm gasket slid in and out easily when it was new.

The link I gave you will include 3 seals. One HX seal (the larger one) and two 3-way valve seals. You need TWO HX seals so that means you need to order two sets of these seals. They will both go under those 4 bolts you speak of. One will go between that plate and the top of the HX and another between the HX and the boiler. Does that make sense? I'm not sure if you caught that the HX cavity actually comes out of the boiler and underneath its lip is that second seal. Let me know if you need further clarification.

EDIT: Take a look at my photos here: Pasquini Livietta restoration for first timer About half way down the page where I show the clean HX, you can see the first seal on the plate (which you already have) and then that close up of the top of the HX you can tell it is kind of raised because right underneath there is the new seal. From inside the boiler you literally just slide the HX out.

apple2k wrote:so one large one goes between the two top brass plates? or two there and then another somewhere else?

i am only getting a leak right where the top 4 bolts attach, so if you are looking down from the machine from the top the leak comes from the space just next to the boiler tube

Jonny has the right idea and the right link for parts. I posted a text description on a similar thread here. Specifically:

Back to the top of the boiler, remove the 4 bolts holding the HX onto the boiler. There is a medium-sized seal that can be replaced. Now that the 3-way solenoid is out of the way, you can disassemble the HX and replace the 2 small seals inside of the HX.

Ok great, thanks for the guidance. Seems like there is one seal between the two plates and one beneath the plate where the HX sits on the boiler itself. I did not realize the HX could be removed, I thought that tube inside the boiler was welded in there

I will give this a shot this weekend and report back

Yes it may need some more descaling as the scale can make it feel like it's welded into place. Also I wouldn't use any tools other than your hands because it is delicate and if damaged, it won't be an easy fix. Just put pressure on the bottom of it from inside the boiler with your thumb til it starts to come out. Then start wiggling it back and forth and little by little it will slide out. It's a tight fit so the cleaner, more scale free it is, the easier it will slide. Be patient. Good advice I received: when you get frustrated, walk away. These things can't be rushed to be done right.

Hey Peter,

Looks like it's coming along nicely. Glad the insulation worked out. You should also be able to get that thinner piece on the top of the boiler and, again, use Gorilla tape to hold it down. Your cups on top will still get plenty-warm. Nice thing is that you'll also notice the water reservoir will be far cooler. (As a side note, I'll get you that other piece of insulation off in the next few days.)

As far as your basket size, if you have a micrometer, measure the inside-diameter of your PF. The "54mm" on my Livietta is larger than what other manufacturers call a 54mm. And that's part of the problem in finding additional baskets! I had to pay over $50 for my spare, that I got from the previous Oly distributor prior to OE taking them on. Painful, but I looked everywhere, and could find NO alternative.

For your HX fill tube, is it chromed? Hard to tell from your pictures. The reason I ask is that mine sure seemed to be, but after descaling with citric acid, it was just plain brass. If there had been a finish, the citric acid and heat burned it right off. Didn't affect performance though.