Did the title get your attention? okay its really not that romantic, or violent... or disastrous. but it did trip the circuit breaker and shoot sparks at me once. I guess that was kind of violent.
Anyway our story begins last weeks I was showing my dad how to use craigslist when I stumbled upon this ad selling an E61 single boiler machine for $200 bucks. the only markings on it were ITALA. I spoke with the seller for a while he didn't know the company that made the machine and he couldn't figure out what was wrong with the machine. people online suggested to him that it could be the boiler, and that would be too expensive and time consuming for him to deal with so wanted to sell the machine for to something else. so I took it off his hands and began work on it. Disassembled and busted out the multimeter, we discovered that the power switch had gone bad. with luck we found a power switch that fit it perfectly?

The machine was alive again, but the question remained. what was this machine? Well that is the reason I come to you today. I would like to find out more about this machine, How to adjust the bizarre ceramic thermostat thing, and possibly where I can find a replacement over-pressure valve?

Here is what I know so far:
+it is called an ITALA
+the ulka vibration pump inside was made in 1995
+the heavily warn sticker on the bottom says macchia italy
+looking at other post related to Itala. this could be a very early Isomac Itala (similar to the Zaffiro). The only thing is that my Itala has the buttons on the bottom rather than the top.

Here are some pictures


This one has the bizarre thermostat on the top left side of the boiler, its maybe adjustable. not sure yet.

and another


I can upload more photos later.

any help is much appreciated!

The "E-61" group looks an awful lot like a standard ancient La Pavoni offering, you would need to disassemble the showerscreen assembly to be sure, but if it has a "flat plate" screen held in place by a bolt, with a dispersion disk above it's likely. Otherwise, apart from the weird thermostat (steam thermostat?) it looks like a SBDU machine built from the common parts bin. No boiler level sensor or brain box.

Alan

Fidel wrote: +looking at other post related to Itala. this could be a very early Isomac Itala (simmilar to the Zaffiro).

Yep. It became the A1 in the late 90s, then the Zaffiro in about 2005. Alan is right about the E61 being a different clone from the one used now. I've seen that polygon shaped bell on Pavonis and lots of different Spanish machines from that era.

It was then and still is one of the very best single boiler designs. The thermostats is an adjustable vapor pressure bulb design. It has a very tight deadband, and if you can figure out how to measure the boiler temperature while adjusting it, you can get it very accurate too. However, the PITA of that "if" is why these machines have gone to over to PID controls

It looks a lot like the steam stat on the very old Orange Baby Gaggia

Alan Frew, I think this is what you are talking about

it looked pretty clean after a soak in some cafiza.

heres the dispersion disk, it still doesn't budge after one descaling with citric acid.


SJM, that looks just like it! Any ideas on how to adjust it? do i just turn the screw atop of it?

another_Jim, I wonder if the thermometer plug mod that people do to their e61 group head machines would be useful in measuring the boiler temperature to some degree.

Thank you guys for your input.

Here are a few updates:
+Green lettering beneath the boiler read "QBA432357ASTM" I think its a serial number.
+The over pressure valve doesn't appear to be working... and it has 2 return hoses into the water tank (never seen that before). I connected my portafilter pressure gauge to one of the portafilters and got some high readings (13 bar from the pf gauge and 14 bar from the machine mounted boiler pressure gauge) and yet NO water came out from the either of the two return hoses . instead the pump worked really hard and came to a stop (its still functioning thank god).

Here are some pictures to better describe the weird over pressure valve:


Three hoses all together


I'll disassemble and clean the over pressure valve, but I really dont know why there are three hoses lol.

SJM, that looks just like it! Any ideas on how to adjust it? do i just turn the screw atop of it?

That would be my guess, but I haven't had that machine in the house for several years so I can't give you any more information on how it works. It looks enough like the pstat inside the SAMA to make me suggest you look for an adjustment screw AND a locking screw.

Good luck.

That's on all the older Isomacs: they have an adjustable and a safety OPV, very odd.

Eric's thermometer would work very well; but you'll need to wait about 3/4 hour for the system to stabilize each time you adjust, since the thermosyphon and head need to respond.

It's been a long time since I played with one of those stats. I think the vapor in the bulb expands and pushes up the bar, which acts as the switch. On the other side from the bulb (which goes into a well in the boiler) there should be a tensioning screw that is adjustable. But I can't make out from your photo if that is the assembly I remember.

oh good to know. Here are some better pictures :




the pressure release valve looks like the plastic regulating piece on the inside is cracked and stuck to the bottom of the PRV. that is going to need replacing.

Fidel wrote:The over pressure valve doesn't appear to be working... and it has 2 return hoses into the water tank (never seen that before).

I think it's normal to have two hoses after a vibe pump that go back to the reservoir, although they usually tee into the same line. The first one after the vibe pump would be attachd to your priming valve. It works backwards to the OPV - is normally open then closes after the pump hits a little pressure. After that you have the OPV/expansion valve, is normally closed then opens after the pressure is above brew pressure.

haha man I feel dumb. Thanks for clearing that up homeburrero!