Search found 269 matches

by djmonkeyhater
September 1st, 2021, 1:25 am
Forum: Repairs, Restorations & Mods
Replies: 8
Views: 724

La San Marco 85 Flexa Repair Challenge

Agreed that it looks like a funky fabrication execution. The element seems to be sealed the same way as conventional ones. I don't know the material(s) used but they seem generally reliable. It's not great that you have to replace the boiler if the element fails. My primary concern around lifespan i...
by djmonkeyhater
August 31st, 2021, 1:43 am
Forum: Repairs, Restorations & Mods
Replies: 8
Views: 724

La San Marco 85 Flexa Repair Challenge

More electronics. #1 is something I've not seen before. A quick google tells me that it is a DBK PTC (#1) resistance heater. Some sort of ceramic composite that sees a reduction in resistance as it gets hotter. I think it is used as a heater in many applications but here I think it is a
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by djmonkeyhater
August 29th, 2021, 10:10 pm
Forum: Repairs, Restorations & Mods
Replies: 8
Views: 724

La San Marco 85 Flexa Repair Challenge

I have a rough proof of concept for the brew boiler. I am filling it with one of the vibe pump and controlling temp with a PID. Element is 250w - it all heats up pretty quickly which means it probably will not hold temp that well. {image} Here's the brew boiler. 1- how
by djmonkeyhater
August 28th, 2021, 2:02 am
Forum: Repairs, Restorations & Mods
Replies: 8
Views: 724

La San Marco 85 Flexa Repair Challenge

Portafilter is proprietary. "Complete portafilter for use with pods that only fits the San Marco pod machine, the Flexa model. It includes a 45 mm filter screen held in place with with a retaining spring. The overall diameter of the body of this portafilter is slightly smaller than the standard port...
by djmonkeyhater
August 28th, 2021, 1:10 am
Forum: Repairs, Restorations & Mods
Replies: 8
Views: 724

La San Marco 85 Flexa Repair Challenge

The grouphead is unlike any I've seen before. It's standard in that the brew water comes in the top center. The dispersion block (4 bolts, 8 small holes) holds the screen with that rubber ring to the left. The oddities - the exhaust is the red arrow. It connects to a plastic pipe that goes down
by djmonkeyhater
August 28th, 2021, 12:18 am
Forum: Repairs, Restorations & Mods
Replies: 8
Views: 724

La San Marco 85 Flexa Repair Challenge

A first step - fixing the element bolt. This is probably what made it free. {image} I tried drilling it for an EZOUT. Then I realized it was welded from the back before the boiler was assembled. Practically impossible to fix without a lot of tools. I'm not sure that they thought of how someone might
by djmonkeyhater
August 24th, 2021, 10:42 pm
Forum: Repairs, Restorations & Mods
Replies: 8
Views: 724

La San Marco 85 Flexa Repair Challenge

So someone gave me a 2008 LSM 85 Flexa that had a hard life in an office kitchen. It's DOA with a sheared element stud on the boiler and some clearly incomplete wiring repairs. I'm going to attempt to fix it - the odds are probably 50/50. This is a technical challenge - I don't think I
by djmonkeyhater
October 28th, 2010, 4:41 pm
Forum: Knockbox
Replies: 3406
Views: 306543

The craziest %#*$ing thing I've seen all day...

So I started listening to "Le Cafe" and then scribbling and pausing it and scribbling. Then I realized my rusty, non-colloquial, Quebecois-influenced French was wholly inadequate, so I Googled a couple of the refrains and came up with this. e.g. - I had no idea what "kawa" was. It seems to be the Fr...
by djmonkeyhater
September 11th, 2010, 2:20 am
Forum: Espresso Machines
Replies: 2
Views: 991

Need Pavoni Pub Electrical Expertise

In a later process of disassembly, I twisted the 20 year old ribbon cable and 3 of the wires broke. Given the discoloration of the insulation and the breakage, I was not able to fully document it. Here is the the back of the control panel wiring. {image} {image} Here is the box. Ironically
by djmonkeyhater
September 11th, 2010, 2:06 am
Forum: Espresso Machines
Replies: 2
Views: 991

Need Pavoni Pub Electrical Expertise

I have a well used Pavoni Pub that I am working on for a friend. All has gone well on the teardown and rebuild except for the dosing/brewing control rewiring. This machine has an older, seemingly completely unsupported level control box that I need help understanding the wiring logic with. Here is t...