Building the Ultimate La Pavoni Europiccola - Page 3

Equipment doesn't work? Troubleshooting? If you're handy, members can help.
wsfarrell
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#21: Post by wsfarrell »

Most awesome, please keep it going. The coffeemaker-spareparts site is new to me. Looks like I'll be spending some money there.......

wsfarrell
Posts: 497
Joined: 11 years ago

#22: Post by wsfarrell »

Question: why are you getting a new boiler ring (flange)? Was the old one damaged in removal, or is the new one just easier to work with?

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TM
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Joined: 11 years ago

#23: Post by TM »

Keep up the impressive work. I'm learning so much.

Now I just need to find an old EP from the early 1970s :D

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drgary
Team HB
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#24: Post by drgary »

This is not boring to someone who wants to do one of these rebuilds. It's very helpful. Another parts source is Francesco Ceccarelli, who has some spares new and used for these machines. Here's that link. Scroll down the page for the gasket set and scroll further down for used spares in good condition.
Gary
LMWDP#308

What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

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pizzigri (original poster)
Posts: 85
Joined: 9 years ago

#25: Post by pizzigri (original poster) »

wsfarrell wrote:Question: why are you getting a new boiler ring (flange)? Was the old one damaged in removal, or is the new one just easier to work with?
Hey Bill,

well, it's because we are going to use brand-new, single coil, pstat driven, relatively inexpensive current stainless steel heating elements that have the three bolts to fasten themselves to the boiler flange. Even if we wanted to use uber expensive, impossible to find NIB, collector item, replacement screw on brass heating elements (as I stated in the first post the EP featured had a dead HE), they would be of the two coil design (800+200) and would lack the threaded hole for the pstat. Remember, we want the Ultimate EuroPiccola - one that merges all the good things from the past and the present!!!

PS. Barista Gods, Please don't flame me, that this is the Ultimate EP is just my opinion!
I know that if you're a 'Zen and the Art of pulling a shot with the Pavoni' type barista purist yo'll be able to beat the snot out of practically anyone using a pstat machine (especially me) with your two heating element lever machine... but hey!

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pizzigri (original poster)
Posts: 85
Joined: 9 years ago

#26: Post by pizzigri (original poster) »

drgary wrote:This is not boring to someone who wants to do one of these rebuilds. It's very helpful. Another parts source is Francesco Ceccarelli, who has some spares new and used for these machines. Here's that link. Scroll down the page for the gasket set and scroll further down for used spares in good condition.
Right! Especially for the Brass Sleeve parts.

wsfarrell
Posts: 497
Joined: 11 years ago

#27: Post by wsfarrell »

pizzigri wrote:Hey Bill,

well, it's because we are going to use brand-new, single coil, pstat driven, relatively inexpensive current stainless steel heating elements that have the three bolts to fasten themselves to the boiler flange. Even if we wanted to use uber expensive, impossible to find NIB, collector item, replacement screw on brass heating elements (as I stated in the first post the EP featured had a dead HE), they would be of the two coil design (800+200) and would lack the threaded hole for the pstat. Remember, we want the Ultimate EuroPiccola - one that merges all the good things from the past and the present!!!
Thanks, I'm starting to understand, but it's slow. Please don't skimp on the photos.

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pizzigri (original poster)
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#28: Post by pizzigri (original poster) »

A quick note to say I am still alive... And that it's been raining the past few days, so that I could not take nice pictures of the ongoing work.
I will post pics of the cleaned parts possibly this weekend.
The main problem lies in the fact that half of the parts I need are backordered, and I need to wait at least until next week...
Seems that a lot of guys have found hoards of vintage 1970's europiccolas, and are posting their experience!

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pizzigri (original poster)
Posts: 85
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#29: Post by pizzigri (original poster) »

Update...
here are the pics of the base undergoing the first steps in removing paint and polishing and the other cleaned parts I am going to use for this project.
Lets start with this:

using a very mild, abrasive wheel on a standard drill, I am removing the old paint trying not to damage the aluminum underneath.

Another image of the ongoing work. Next week I'll be using finer and finer grit sandpaper, before using wet 800 grit paper, and then polishing compound with a cotton or lambswool wheel.

The parts ready for assembly, cleaned and free of the various chemicals used, less the base (and the parts I'm still waiting for! Darn....).

Detail

Another detail

The brass sleeve in all it's cleaned glory. I don't really care, for a working machine like this one, to go all the way to mirror polish. But it's smooth and very clean...

The piston, cleaned as above. The rod has been finely polished as it will have to interface with the smaller group gasket.

Inside the group. As new!

Once cleaned from all the grime, the boiler alas revealed a very scratched back. Hence the name: Old Scratchy.

Ever wondered what is under the rubber cover cap on top of the boiler cap? Here's the answer. The bakelite knob is fastened with a steel nut. The covering cap is made of relatively soft rubber, that can harden like bakelite in time. Strangely enough, Old Scratchy's cap had a still soft and easily removable cover.

What HAS arrived up to now. Boiler to base gasket part no. 362019;the central bolt gasket part no. 361006; the steam tap gasket part no. 361023;two piston gasket part no. 361005; two water level view glass gasket part no. 362020 ;the complete anti-vacuum kit - valve plug, part no. 396754 R, and Spring, part no. 311407;
a standard portafilter group gasket (old type) 465300 - OR6187; a commercial 2 position toggle switch (basically an actual, OEM La Pavoni part no. 435074)... and a workable boiler cap gasket, recovered from another cap i had lying around.

Mounted the steam tap gasket. Note the damage the previous serviceman did to the tap, attempting to disassembly it the wrong way.

However, the tapered bearing surface is OK, and I've tested it on my house machine, and it works flawlessly. It's only ugly. But who cares... it works!

So that's all for now. Let me know what you think.

wsfarrell
Posts: 497
Joined: 11 years ago

#30: Post by wsfarrell »

Nice to see that the boiler cap is bolted on. I never would have thought to look. I lift mine by the cap sometimes--stupid, yes, but now I know there's more than glue holding it on.