Restoration of an Olympia Cremina - Page 7

[timo888]

I've tried teflon tape. I think it's a good solution, it will take a couple of trys to get the proper orientation of the tube. I've got also a thread sealant ( Loctite 542 ) but am not sure if it stays in place when the machine is use. I wouldn't want in my espresso eventualy...
Thanks for all suggestions!
Marcel

I don't know about 542 and the possibility of chemicals leaching out under high temperatures and pressure. You might want to follow up with Henkel about the choice of thread locker.

http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/hec/hec115.html

Regards
Timo

[timo888]

I've tried teflon tape. I think it's a good solution, it will take a couple of trys to get the proper orientation of the tube. I've got also a thread sealant ( Loctite 542 ) but am not sure if it stays in place when the machine is use. I wouldn't want in my espresso eventualy...
Thanks for all suggestions!
Marcel

Here is another Loctite product that might also be of service:

Pipe Sealing Cord 55
http://tds.loctite.com/tds5/docs/LOC55PSC-EN.pdf

Loctite® 55 is recommended for sealing metal and plastic tapered pipe threads and fittings up to 4" NPT (National Pipe Thread). It has a temperature resistance up to 150°C (300°F). Loctite® 55 allows assemblies to be adjusted after assembly...

Approvals/Specifications
UL Listed and certified to CSA international (formerly AGA) and ANSI/NSF Standard 61.

Regards
Timo

P.S. According to Loctite customer support, 542 is not NSF certified.

[Fullsack]

OK, calling all Olympia 67 owners. I need some help double checking some wiring.

I finally got my parts from Switzerland for a new heating element and new switches and I rewired based on how I got the machine. Now while I have the boiler rolling, I cannot get the status light to fire up. Before I dig out my probe, I wanted to see if any of you could double check my wiring so see if I am doing something stupid. This is one of my last frustrations before I simply start from scratch and rewire it.

Here are a couple pics of how I have it wired:


Off the boiler:

Hey Steve -


The only other thing I have is the yellow/green that grounds by the rocker switch, also grounds on the bottom of the boiler - but you don't have one of those so no worries....

Pt

I'd be a little uneasy about leaving something ungrounded. My solution is much like the grounding on the original heating element.

[stgui2]

I just looked at your plugging scheme and it seems correct to me. It looks like the new heaters do not have any grounding. Take also a look earlier in this thread containing Steve's plugging. he also got the spare from Switzerland
best of luck

[TUS172]

Just wanted to get this thread back up towards the front of the line... I have my eyes on a Cremina and will probably need all the knowledge given in these great posts.

[TUS172]

Cathi,
For your benefit this is brought back to the forefront of posts... Just in case?!

[Cathi]

Excellent! I'm sure I'll need it. Hopefully it wont be a nightmare. Simple/basic, I'm willing to go for.

Thanks for the bump.

[Fullsack]

After a bit struggle to remove the rubber feet and finish up the electrical, everything was apart.

After my eBay debacle and some encouraging words from Greg, "mogogear," I decided to powder coat 2 of the Creminas. The bodies are at the paint shop. Now, I've decided to do the frames as well, but I'm having trouble removing the rubber feet. They are starting to tear from all of my pushing and pulling. Anyone know a way to remove the feet without damaging them?

[mogogear]

Doug,
My feet were made of a glued on bottom layer that had to be peeled off to reveal the screw head. Some of my bolts and nuts were just spinning when I tried to remove them ( I know that was leaving the door open for some comments )
And I had to reosrt to tearing into one of the feet.

Maybe yours are the "punched" through the hole type? I hope you got a good deal on your powder coating- my guy near me will do two shells for about $60 . The trick Steve used on removing the badges worked well- the dental floss saw!

[Fullsack]

Greg,
Mine are the punched through type. I soaked the frame in the kitchen sink with hot water for a 1/2 hour. That softened the rubber feet enough to push them through with a screw driver, no damage.

Leon's Powder Coating in Oakland said $10.00 each body, I don't know about the frames yet. They told me the heat from the powder coating process would probably melt the gold decal on the '88, so I may need an Olympia badge.

I'm going to put the '86 on eBay. With the new coating and better bright work, (also mechanically restored), it should be attractive enough to get over the "reserve" hump.

The floss trick worked well on the badge, but wouldn't remove the serial number plate. The floss kept breaking. The paint shop will probably have to tape it off and paint around it.

[mogogear]

Great price on the powder coat! I would skip the frames- IMHO it just doesn't matter on the frames...If I part out the Cremina you will be on my list for a Badge-I will sell the body with out it .I assume someone would buy it to replace a severly damaged body- and they would have a badge already....

Just like the boiler if I sell- the Cap will be sold separately- a buyer with a defective boiler will already have a good cap... most likely.

[Fullsack]

I've been searching the lever forum for a post I'd seen that described a slick way to seal the group for chroming. It included a picture and probably should be added to this restoration thread. Anyone remember the thread?

[timo888]

I've been searching the lever forum for a post I'd seen that described a slick way to seal the group for chroming. It included a picture and probably should be added to this restoration thread. Anyone remember the thread?

Search=truss
author=mogogear

Regards
Timo

[Fullsack]

Thanks Timo. Nice "teach to fish" touch.

[Fullsack]

Greg,
Mine are the punched through type. I soaked the frame in the kitchen sink with hot water for a 1/2 hour. That softened the rubber feet enough to push them through with a screw driver, no damage.

Leon's Powder Coating in Oakland said $10.00 each body, I don't know about the frames yet. They told me the heat from the powder coating process would probably melt the gold decal on the '88, so I may need an Olympia badge.

I'm going to put the '86 on eBay. With the new coating and better bright work, (also mechanically restored), it should be attractive enough to get over the "reserve" hump.

The floss trick worked well on the badge, but wouldn't remove the serial number plate. The floss kept breaking. The paint shop will probably have to tape it off and paint around it.

The frames were $5.00 each, but overall not a great job.

The rubber feet were harder to reinstall than to detach. An overnight soak in mineral oil helped, but you need to be in a good mental state when you begin, read: expect to have your blood boil.

[rockymountainhigher]

Great post. Just repaired a leaky boiler gasket on my 20 year old model 67. 1st Line did not have in stock and a repair shop in NY wanted $50 plus shipping. I bought a 12X12 sheet of 1/8" rubber gasket material from local full service hardware store for $5.

Traced the outer diameter of the gasket using the heating element as a rough guide and used a compass for the interior diameter. Cut out with heavy scissors. Does not matter if outer diameter is slightly large, inner diameter more important. Lined up the gasket on the heating element and traced bolt holes with a pen. Used a standard paper hole puncher to punch the bolt holes, perfect fit (could use a drill too). Cut a notch in inner diameter where element has rectangular intrusion. Cleaned everything, applied silicon grease, re-assembled, works like a charm. Total cost: $5 plus I have extra material for 3 more gaskets -- another 80 years!

[mogogear]

RMH-

First things first- Welcome aboard...!

Second things second- "Where ever you go, there you are" Buckaroo Bonzai stated it" No matter where you go- Therer ya are!"- - so you and he must be , uh, cousins? A great line BTW!

Third things third- We have all gotten excited about being resourceful. And I say this with caution , so as not to throw water on your campfire and all, but we ALL need to be careful and remember not to use materials that might not be "food safe" for gasket materials. I for one , have done so, recommended so and through the wisdom of others, say ,
TUS172,...... lead me to understand the error of my "excitable" ways.. I then saw the light that I missed while I was busy being resourceful

So you have done a great job- ! Another good foodsafe option is getting a standard La Pavoni flat boiler gasket (cheap ) and then trace your element flange on to it and use the hole punch exactly as you did.

But since you went to all the trouble of joining and all , and chose a name and have a good signature line and such-- we would like to keep you around and not have to refer to you as the new guy whose puck is not quite tamped all the way any more since he got that new boiler gasket--

So check it out- and remember this is all stated with watching out for a possible new LMWDP member..

[daevid]

first, many thanks to Steve for this fantastic Cremina restoration guide. it's been an invaluable resource for double-checking my work as I restore mine. additional thanks to everyone who has posted comments to this thread. a great community!

so Steve, or anyone who can offer some advice: how did you remove the water level tube during your restoration? I mean, I've got the retaining nuts loose an completely backed off and I can rotate the tube in place, but I'm not having any success yet sliding it out of the housing in order to replace the washers and gaskets. that being said, naturally I already have the replacement gasket kit and a couple of other parts from Olympia months ago. I just don't want to force the removal, break the glass tube and then have to order that as well.

do I need to use a pick/scribe to remove out the old washers first? the machine is from the 80's, probably never saw more than a few dozen uses and has been sitting in storage since, so you can imagine the condition of the internals and know why I'm doing a full gasket replacement (and I've honed all the lime out of the boiler as well, thanks to Steve's approach). I've got plenty of silicone spray down into the mounting points of the water level tube to try and loosen and lubricate things, but the tube still won't budge outwards. before I started getting really physical with it I thought I'd check with the experts here. any suggestions would be much appreciated! and of course many, many thanks in advance.

david

[mogogear]

Dave,

Congratulations! Do you have the pressure relief valve removed? The brass hex shaped valve that screws in right above the tube.

The site glass tube slides up and out of the hole that the valve screws in to.

Note: be careful not to lose the small thin washers that rest on top of the site glass seals( they are in between the nuts and the seals.

I hope that helps

Good luck

[Fullsack]

What worked for me, was holding each end of the site glass with my thumb and index fingers and then turning the glass a little to each side while slowly working it up through the hole in the top.