Get a small can of penetrating oil and put a few drops on the exposed threading at both A and B. Let this sit for an hour or so.

1. Pretend you are on the "A" side of the valve body looking at "B" for all operations.

2. Get a wrench to fit the hex of the fitting at "A". Get a somewhat larger wrench to fit the tubing nut to the left of "A".

3. Turn the larger tubing nut counter-clockwise while applying an equal clockwise force with the smaller wrench on the fitting at "A".

4. Now apply a wrench to the hex at "B" and an even larger wrench to the valve body. Turn the entire valve body counter-clockwise while applying an equal clockwise force with a smaller wrench on the fitting at "B".

i think the small selection of spanners i have isn't up to the job so it's a good excuse to purchase some! are the nuts on the machine metric or imperial (AF)?

EDIT - having had a quick mess about with a vernier caliper they appear to be metric - could someone please confirm this?

Also discovered my 17mm spanner ranges in size between 18.5-21 mm.

DDTTAA wrote:EDIT - having had a quick mess about with a vernier caliper they appear to be metric - could someone please confirm this?

Also discovered my 17mm spanner ranges in size between 18.5-21 mm.

I think it's mixed... (or some of the imperial perfectly fit some of the metric nuts). I have a set of Imperial wrenches and ended up using Imperial and an adjustable wrench. Didn't round off the nuts so I'm happy.

Mark

well i have an adjustable spanner and just ordered a 25 piece metric set which goes from 6-28 in mm (+ a 30 and 32) so should be too far off. one hopes.

hi, they took me a while to find but is this the type of wrench you are talking about?

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=13151

That's right. Commonly used on automotive tubing fittings.

I finally got my tools and managed to get the valve body off in seconds with no problems. Just shows what the right set of tools can do! Anyway I'm still waiting for the replacement parts (2 weeks now) but once it gets here I will be able to test it out then get on the go with the strip down.

I have a few questions about which parts I should be replacing - more may come up as I find and problems when it is up and running but I'm just looking for suggestions for things I should defiantly be doing now.

Gaskets - the machine is around 8-9 years old and I am completely unaware of the service history. Should I be replacing the complete gasket set in both the groups?

Shower screen - to replace or not to replace? I have not taken the machine to pieces yet as I am waiting for these parts (mentioned above) to arrive to test out a few things first so I cannot comment on the condition of the group head parts.

Grease for fittings - when I took off the solenoid body I noticed it had grease on the threads. I assume this would be a good idea when putting back together. What type of grease should I be using? Where would I be able to get suitable grease (UK)? Does this grease go on all the fittings?

Power - I'm not comfortable running this 16A machine off a 13A supply. I'm trying to find out whether my sockets are 30A or 15A - neither building super nor fuse box is any help. Is it possible to reduce the power so that it runs below the 3.7 kW to say 2.9 to make it run safely off a standard UK plug (13A)? Will this require any special tools/equipment?

Frame - it's pretty grimy in there and I'm thinking I will strip it down and repaint it? I have these for stripping paint Here would these be a bit harsh? What is the recommended method? Is it a special type of paint (for re-painting purposes) - heat resistant perhaps?

Outer case - it's a little grubby and on one side a pouch had been glued on for holding a document of some kind, but I guess with the heat the glue has become pretty attached to the case. Do I just scrub and scrub until it comes off? Is it solid stainless steel? Are there any special cleaning products for the case?

PF's - the pf's have black plastic handles, which according to the schematics should just twist off the pf body but with all my might I cannot shift them. I would like to replace them with the wooden handled version. Do these handles just screw off or is it a case of buying the entire pf? I know you can order the handles on their own.

Cosmetic - firstly the Elektra logo on the front has been worn down by cleaning. Can you get the stencil and paint required to re-do this? The information/ SN plate has also been worn down by cleaning. I would like to replace this, but I don't know if that would be possible for the reasons that it may be illegal and its 'riveted' on rather than screwed on. Any thoughts?

Lights - I do need to replace one, is it best to replace them all, as they don't really cost any great amount?

Thanks for the help.

Damien

DDTTAA wrote:I finally got my tools and managed to get the valve body off in seconds with no problems. Just shows what the right set of tools can do! Anyway I'm still waiting for the replacement parts (2 weeks now) but once it gets here I will be able to test it out then get on the go with the strip down.

I have a few questions about which parts I should be replacing - more may come up as I find and problems when it is up and running but I'm just looking for suggestions for things I should defiantly be doing now.

Sound like a fine plan. Here is what I remember from a year ago when I rebuilt my T1.

DDTTAA wrote:Gaskets - the machine is around 8-9 years old and I am completely unaware of the service history. Should I be replacing the complete gasket set in both the groups?

If it came into contact with heated water, I'd change the gasket. I think I changed every gasket in the whole machine as I figured I might as well not have to do this again for a long, long time.

DDTTAA wrote:Shower screen - to replace or not to replace? I have not taken the machine to pieces yet as I am waiting for these parts (mentioned above) to arrive to test out a few things first so I cannot comment on the condition of the group head parts.

No need to really replace it if you can get it clean. I used a needle and spent a while poking holes and dunking it in boiler water + Cafiza.

DDTTAA wrote:Grease for fittings - when I took off the solenoid body I noticed it had grease on the threads. I assume this would be a good idea when putting back together. What type of grease should I be using? Where would I be able to get suitable grease (UK)? Does this grease go on all the fittings?

I used Teflon tape on the copper/brass threads for the water lines. I used Dow 111 on internal stuff.

DDTTAA wrote:Power - I'm not comfortable running this 16A machine off a 13A supply. I'm trying to find out whether my sockets are 30A or 15A - neither building super nor fuse box is any help. Is it possible to reduce the power so that it runs below the 3.7 kW to say 2.9 to make it run safely off a standard UK plug (13A)? Will this require any special tools/equipment?

You can easily disconnect one of the three heating elements and reduce the power by 1/3. Under the cap that protects the elements from water you'll find 6 metal studs with brass/copper connectors between each leg. Remove one set and voila 2/3 power.

DDTTAA wrote:Frame - it's pretty grimy in there and I'm thinking I will strip it down and repaint it? I have these for stripping paint Here would these be a bit harsh? What is the recommended method? Is it a special type of paint (for re-painting purposes) - heat resistant perhaps?

It doesn't really get all that hot on the frame, perhaps where the steam and water are connected but for the most part any spray paint would probably work just fine. I didn't strip it, I just de-greased it and sanded off the rusty areas and hit it with some spray paint as most of the frame was in great shape.

DDTTAA wrote:Outer case - it's a little grubby and on one side a pouch had been glued on for holding a document of some kind, but I guess with the heat the glue has become pretty attached to the case. Do I just scrub and scrub until it comes off? Is it solid stainless steel? Are there any special cleaning products for the case?

The good news is that the stainless is likely in fine shape under the glue. Getting it off, try one of the Goof Off or similar products. It's solid and heavy duty Stainless steel. I ended up buying a cheap 6" bench grinder, some pads and went to work on it. It took forever but had a mirror like shine when I was done.

DDTTAA wrote:PF's - the pf's have black plastic handles, which according to the schematics should just twist off the pf body but with all my might I cannot shift them. I would like to replace them with the wooden handled version. Do these handles just screw off or is it a case of buying the entire pf? I know you can order the handles on their own.

You can just buy the portafilters, I got a couple of less than new ones from Stefano's to mess around with. They don't have the Elektra logo, but they were cheap enough for me to mess with. He thew in a couple of cheap rubber handles so I could easily hold onto them.

DDTTAA wrote:Cosmetic - firstly the Elektra logo on the front has been worn down by cleaning. Can you get the stencil and paint required to re-do this? The information/ SN plate has also been worn down by cleaning. I would like to replace this, but I don't know if that would be possible for the reasons that it may be illegal and its 'riveted' on rather than screwed on. Any thoughts?

I inquired and no, you can't get them. If you figure out how to do this I would also be interested. I my S/N plate was also almost unreadable and I choose to relocate it and polish up the stainless to match in that area.

DDTTAA wrote:Lights - I do need to replace one, is it best to replace them all, as they don't really cost any great amount?

If they are brittle replace them, if not leave them alone.

=-=-
Mark

Here is a picture of the boiler element terminals. I removed the two brass/copper pieces indicated by the red arrows.

=-=-
Mark

Thanks for the answers Mark. I spent some time this afternoon re-reading the thread on your restoration. It started to make me think it may be a little more complicated especially with the p-stat and t-stat.

I think I will change all the gaskets, it kind of makes sense while I'm in there. Also the copper washers, but I'll check the conditions of those first. I think I should replace the boiler pressure release valve given the advice in your thread.

I'm trying to restrain myself from taking too much apart before I run water through it. But I did take the shower screen off. It was pretty dirty in there but the dirt simply washed off (the shower screen), no chemicals needed. Speaking of chemicals, I can pick up some Cafiza over here, off the web but Dow 111 and goof off are more difficult to come by. I may see if Stefano has them if I'm going to be ordering a lot of items. Also the holes in the dispersion block were grubby but none of them where completely blocked.

I'm not really an engineer or similar so I haven't come across teflon tape, but it seems to be the recommended route to take for the fittings. you say you use dow 111 on the "internal stuff" - where would you use this as opposed to the tape?

Disconnecting one of the heating elements will be very easy - thanks for the picture!

I'll try just cleaning the frame first, and see how I get on with that.

How did you use the bench grinder to clean the case? did you have to hold the frame up to it all the time? perhaps an orbital sander may be a better option? any opinions on this? for orbital sanders can you get the required grit to get the mirror finish?

my PF's don't have the Elektra logo, they may be just generic ones and this is why the handle won't screw off. the pfs themselves are in pretty good order, even with some brass exposed.

when you relocated the s/n plate did the drip tray sit flush in position. shame about the logo on the front. my housemate is a pretty talented artist, ill see what he thinks when he's back from holiday.

There is likely an equivalent name for Dow 111 in the UK. Goof Off or other generic brand of petroleum/citric oil/mineral spirits dissolver. Be very very careful of MEK based cleaners, nasty, nasty stuff.

Yeah, I had to hold up the part I was polishing, it got heavier by the minute. Took hours.... Strongly suggest finding a metal plating place and just get them to do the polish stage. They have the equipment to make it like a mirror. Probably cheaper than buying the stuff yourself.

I used three grades of cleaning/polishing along with three separate spiral bound wheels. It's likely you'd have an easier time with a car polishing like attachment (if they go fast enough for stainless polishing, I don't know). I didn't try my orbital sander since I didn't want to get metal stuff into my wood working gear. The polish flies everywhere...(well not really, just in a straight line off the wheel).

My drip tray still sits flush. You can put a piece of cardboard under it to test how much clearance you have.

Mark

hi, yeah dow 111 is known as Molykote 111. but the few places that have it its around £16 once you add delivery. ill look for something similar.

ive requested a few quotes for the polishing, unfortunatly here in London everything costs twice what it should, but we'll see what they say. i think i'd rather do it myself, just to know i'd done it if that makes sense. i can get a cheap orbital sander for around £15 then just need to add the different grit papers. ill also have a look for an attachment for a power drill, although these are very expensive.

something like this but a kit like this is quite expensive

I will be going to a hardware superstore tomorrow (if you would call B&Q that!) so suggestions for what i would need eg from what grit sandpaper to anything after that lambswool buffer ect.

You only need a tiny bit of Dow 111. I've got a 150 gram tube, I used maybe 5 grams so far and that includes re-doing an Elektra Microcasa. I'm set for life with the 150 gram tube.

I don't think the Rubber Drum Sanding Kit 25Pc would work. I think you're better off with the Metal Polishing Kit 100mm...

I hope you have a random orbital, start at a very, very high grit, I basically used a polishing paste and ended up with some scratches that were tough to eliminate. Basically buff it out, don't sand it out. Test on the inside where no one (except you) will know if you screw it up.

Mark

Okay, so after waiting over 3 weeks for my solenoid piston part, the part i received was incorrect. As you can see they are the same size but the original part (on the right) has an adapter to change the 1/8 fitting to a ¼ fitting (I think these are the right sizes) but the new one is 1/8 on both ends making too large once the adapter is added. Needless to say I was a little annoyed.



Also it was a "parker" part - it seems like a standard part rather than one especially made for the machine. However I took the piston part out in screwed it into the old valve put it back and ran the machine. I managed to get water out of both groups, but not out of neither the water nor steam taps - I expected this of course from the steam tap. Not sure about the water tap. Pulled a blind filter shot and as far as I could see no water going back into the boiler (thanks Eric S.) but the pump is still making one hell of a noise, and its not as though its rattling the machine, just very noisy. Perhaps this has to do with the pressure, my pressure gauges are as below as standard, i.e. the pump pressure reads around 16 when the machine is off, and this rose when the pump was ran, so I don't know if it was using 16 as a zero value or if the pressure really was that high.



Anyway I finally got her apart and the element didn't look too bad (this is comparing it to Mark's who was black) and decided to start the descale.




After going through a couple of options I decided one big tub would be the answer as it would keep the heat a little better. So shown below is the set up at hour 1 and 24 hours later. I wraped the tub in loft insulation, there was a 1 degree drop in temp after 2 hours. I removed around 12 l of the water and brought it to a boil around 5 times yesterday. But I found after leaving overnight it was still to hot to leave my hand in there for more than a few seconds (this is with a starting temperature of around 56 C.




the frame was fine too, this is after a 10 scrub with washing up liquid.




So a question, how do I clean the flow meters? They obviously have electronic components so I simply didn't want to drop them in the water.



Any comments are welcome. More updates to come!

DDTTAA wrote:I managed to get water out of both groups, but not out of neither the water nor steam taps - I expected this of course from the steam tap. Not sure about the water tap. Pulled a blind filter shot and as far as I could see no water going back into the boiler (thanks Eric S.) but the pump is still making one hell of a noise, and its not as though its rattling the machine, just very noisy. Perhaps this has to do with the pressure, my pressure gauges are as below as standard, i.e. the pump pressure reads around 16 when the machine is off, and this rose when the pump was ran, so I don't know if it was using 16 as a zero value or if the pressure really was that high.

...

So a question, how do I clean the flow meters? They obviously have electronic components so I simply didn't want to drop them in the water.

You shouldn't expect any steam or water from the taps unless the boiler is up to positive pressure. both operate on steam pressure; the water tap simply provides water out of the bottom of the boiler rather than the top, so it's not steam, though it's above boiling point of course, so it will sputter angrily as it flash boils when it comes out.

Sounds like you need to try descaling your pump if you haven't already. If you have, or if it's still noisy, you will need to replace it or have it rebuilt. I don't know what your options on that would be in Europe, but neither should be too problematic.

Flow meters: take them apart. the bottom part you can wash easily, the top part I would be careful with. You might place it in a cup of acid solution very, very carefully so that the body is submerged but not the leads that are glued in. I don't think there's a lot to worry about. If I understand the flow meter right, it's just a jet that causes water to spin a little plastic propeller with a magnet or something along those lines on one of the blades. a little sensor that is no doubt quite simple is in all that glue and it registers each time the bit of metal passes. I think it should be pretty tough provided you remove the plastic plug that connects the wires to the leads.

Looks like your glue is covered in some nasty buildup. that green LED is embedded in glue, IIRC. You can probably just scrub that off with an old toothbrush. Anyway, to get it apart and see the inside just take those three big screws off. There's a gasket that seals the top part to the bottom half of the body, and you may have to pry it off gently (I did on mine). I believe it's also attached to the body with 2-3 screws from the bottom, but I assume you've already gotten this part off.

thanks Nicholas, yes i actually did separate them and started to descale the bottom parts, however i think they are only brassplated as a little rub revealed (im going to post more on this tomorrow) - ill give the toothbrus a try and maybe a shallow dish for the scale on the underside.

as for the motor, i removed the brass component of the motor and that is descaling. is it possible to descale the main part of the motor?

Ah, sorry, you don't want to descale the motor; apologies if I misspoke. You may want to run the motor without the pump (brass head) attached. It should run smooth and quiet. If it doesn't, pretty much your only option is replacing it.

You should progress the spindle on the brass pump head (the spindle is the part that the motor locks to and spins). You can spin it with a wrench, but you should be able to spin it smoothly with just your hand. If you can't, there's a good chance it's shot. I wouldn't recommend submerging the pump head to descale... I would just pour warm acid solution into the inlet and turn the motor to fill it up and let it sit for a bit (and repeat as necessary). You'll also probably want to take apart the pressure regulator/bypass valve and make sure it's clean as well.

Hope that helps.

shadowfax wrote:You may want to run the motor without the pump (brass head) attached. It should run smooth and quiet

EDIT: I have just ran the pump and it is both smooth and quiet

shadowfax wrote:You should progress the spindle on the brass pump head (the spindle is the part that the motor locks to and spins). You can spin it with a wrench, but you should be able to spin it smoothly with just your hand

Yes, i have just tried this and both the spindle on the pump and the motor turn freely, however the motor has a little momentum once released wereas the pump does not. As they are connected i realise now that i cannot clearly say if it was the motor or the pump that was making the noise

shadowfax wrote:I wouldn't recommend submerging the pump head to descale

i think we'll file that one under 'oops' as its been in there for 2 days now, i've taken it out of the solution, and hope this doesn't have any negative effect.

shadowfax wrote:You'll also probably want to take apart the pressure regulator/bypass valve and make sure it's clean as well.

Excuse my ignorance but which parts are these? i can't find them on the schematics and just dont want to assume i know which parts they are. is the pressure regulator aka the pressure switch? Where is the bypass valve? i am unsure if this is the solenoid valve / the retention valve (both leading to the pressure switch) or is it the safety valve which sits atop the boiler (which ive already taken apart and will have to replace).

Thanks for the help

Damien