Hi There

I'm having a few tap spindles refabricated and wondered if anybody has disassembled one before / can describe how it's done?

The tap is from a 1950s Gaggia although I imagine Faema Martes etc from the same period may have sported the same tap.


The bit I am trying to disassemble is the gasket holder on the end of the spindle so I can do some drawings.


Just by looking at it you'd think the hex-nut by the thread would unscrew out of the gasket holder, and you'd presumably then be able to remove a screw in that end of the spindle to release the hex-nut.
I have tried this and you can see the scrape marks I've left on the gasket holder in the top photo.

Before I do anything too destructive, can anyone advise?

I like your style!



The above pic should be self explanatory, some of mine after rechroming. They unscrew the correct way, just heat them first with a blow lamp. The key is getting a good grip, but if you heat them they come apart easily. If you break them don't worry I know a man who made some new ones

i think, gaggia did not like this design. they changed it after a few years. those valve are used in a 1958 america.

Just the steer I was after !

Thanks very much both of you. Now let's try again...

macgaggia wrote:i think, gaggia did not like this design. they changed it after a few years. those valve are used in a 1958 america.

Thanks for the photos, I use my lathe chuck all the time like that. Can't imagine how I managed without it before. For the end gasket the current Astoria/Wega one fits right in and the shaft gasket is pretty easy to find. Never found a substitute for the copper washer though, but the old ones are usually in ok condition.