Finally finished refreshing the LP Pro, new gaskets and seals. All seems fine, but it does have a slow drip from the shower screen. Pstat is set to keep it between .8 and .9 bar.

I tend to be a bit conservative with lubricating things, especially sliding parts, and more so when there are seals constantly skimming the lube off. Dow was used on all surfaces of the seals, and a thin coat on the cylinder wall. Before just going back in and slathering everything, anything else I should consider?

Thanks

It's a pre-millennium group on your pro, right? So it has to be leaking past the upper piston seal. I'd try giving it a chance to get a little more flexible with use. Give it a few little pumps when up to pressure and the seal hopefully will flare and seal, then after a while might quit leaking at all.

If that doesn't work, you could try drgary's trick of padding it out with teflon tape in the piston groove:
Nose Drip on Pre-Millennium Pavoni [Solved!]

I think you're right to be conservative with the lube - use enough get the seal very shiny all over and very lightly coat the inside of the cylinder.

Hey, since the lubing is mentioned in this thread...

I recently bought the a Pavoni Pro from Francesco Cecarelli. An incredible machine with a steep learning curve, but the shots come out beautifully when u nail it...

Francesco mentioned that I have to lubricate the piston housing every 3 to 4 months. How does that is working out for the rest of you?

Do you really have to disassemble the shower screen and gasket in order to access the piston housing and lubricate it every 3 or 4 months??? From what I saw on youtube videos, some folks have actually trouble getting that showerscreen out..

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Ark

The dispersion screen on your 1984 vintage pro should be easily removed along with the shaft and piston by removing the group from the boiler, removing the nuts on the top of the shaft, and knocking the whole assembly on something relatively soft like a block of wood (so the threads are not damaged).
The screen is held in place only with the oring between it and the basket.

Awesome Thanks a lot for the tip!

I still have a question on how many of you actually do that every 3 or 4 months?

I agree with hankbates, that on your machine the screen should come out easily, partly because I assume it was recently serviced by Francesco. If you keep the group gasket supple and lubricated the screen pops out fairly easily. On mine I just remove the topnuts and push the lever all the way down; with one hand feeling the screen I can feel it being pushed down by the lever. Then pry at the screen a little with soft tools on one side then the other and it will often come right out. If not, then remove front pin (remove one E-clip using fingernails or chopsticks) and get a block of wood or something to push down hard on the piston shaft end while your other hand is under the screen. Then if that doesn't work you can invert the machine with the top of the piston shaft on a wood block and press down really hard on the group bell (is less awkward if you remove the group from the boiler when doing this.)

On a machine that hasn't been serviced in a long while, the gasket may be stuck so hard that you need to resort to some hard hammering or to using a pry tool on the gasket. One pry method is to use a long tapered wood screw between the screen and the gasket - as you turn the screw the gasket will be pulled out.

squawmanex wrote:how many of you actually do that every 3 or 4 months?

I remove the screen every couple weeks or so, not so much to lubricate but to clean old coffee residues that build up on the inside of the screen. I think a lot of us do that. If you notice that the screen is clean, you can go longer between these cleanings. I've never worried much about lubricating the piston seals on such a frequent interval, but I would never disagree with Francesco's advice - he really knows these machines. If you use a light coat it won't hurt, and should help with the longevity of the piston seals. For these frequent screen cleanings (and cylinder wall lubing) you don't necessarily need to push the piston out all the way. If you do, you need to be careful to get the upper piston seal tucked into the cylinder.

Thanks for your advice Homeburrero, really detailed description of what to be done.

I've been using the machine for 2 weeks now, almost 2 or 3 times a day. I always clean the dispersion screen after I use it, but obviously after a certain time I'll have to actually disassemble it.

I'll stick to the interval then. I guess after your input and Francesco's advice I'll better do that! Keeping those seals in good health is probably on of the main points to keep the machine up and running for years.

It is amazingly easy to service both 2nd and 3rd generation La Pavoni groups. If one replace the pins that hold the handle with 6mm rods threaded on the ends it dramatically speeds servicing.

After a few months of use the group really needs a thorough cleaning. One needs to be careful when reinserting the piston to avoid damage to the seals. One can also tell by feel when the seals need lubrication. Remember to lubricate the pins each time too, but do NOT use "silicone" grease for that.

So what you officially use for pin lubrication?

I generally use a heavy grease that I use for greasing bearings on vehicles. It stays in place. It does not contact anything touches espresso water or espresso. With each servicing I wipe it all off with a paper towel and apply more with a toothpick! Both sides of the roller need to be greased! Do NOT use this sort of grease on seals or parts that contact brewing water.