I just repaired my vintage Sama Club lever using seals for the MCAL machine (CO Orphanespresso). My group head looks identical to the MCAL- and the seals were a perfect fit. But my group is a thermosyphon group-

my question: Is the Elektra Microcasa a thermosyphon group?

here is mine:

No it isn't.....

Sounds like you have a gem there.

I think it's like the PV group which is availiable as bolted to the boiler or as a thermosyphon.

No thermosyphon on the Elektra...

hmmm...

the machine this came off of was a Sama Club- (see my Sama club restoration thread) virtually identical to the modern Ponte Vecchio- BUT it is a 49mm group, with removable top plate- and identical seals to the Elektra. Also visually it looks identical to the elektra group- with the 'flange' at the top



On this group the dispersion plate is flush with the group seal- so you pack the basket virtually right to the top- is this the same on the MCAL group?

I am wondering if anyone has seen this 'Elektralike' group with thermosyphon on any other machines?

My question isn't purely academic- I actually want to trace down the source of this design for a Top Secret lever project...

So far using the machine- it seems to me that this is a fantastic group design- the piston can be removed in under a minute with an allen key for seal changes, cleaning, etc. To me this seems like a huge advantage over the pavoni, ponte vecchio, olympia, etc designs. No need for special tools, huge clamps or nerves of steel. Any home user could easily replace the seals in a few minutes. In addition 49mm seems like a very good size for a lever machine- not too big- not too small- and Pavoni baskets and PF's can be used.

I would really appreciate it if anyone could tell me more about this group.

sorrentinacoffee wrote:No need for special tools, huge clamps or nerves of steel. "

I thought the spring needed to be compressed in order to fit into the chamber? Is that easy enough to do by hand?

The group head certainly looks just like and Elektra apart from the two pipes for the TS. The spring on the Elektra stays fitted in the piston unit, which simply unplugs from the group head as a unit, allowing you to just change and grease the seals and pop it back in. It's just one way in which the Elektra is more than just a pretty face

Yeah, mine is the same- then entire spring/piston assembly slides as a single unit. No need to un-tension the spring- which is way too strong to compress by hand.

If these groups were still available in thermosyphon type- they would fit right onto a PV machine I think...

Kindof hard to say about that group.....the MCAL seals will fit a number of groups, even a Zacconi that takes a two seal setup, the Elektra sourced W seal is about the only two way seal that is available and thankfully it fits a lot of pistons. But then again, it could be that the Elektra cylinder and piston was made as a common product from some jobber....there is so much that we do not know for sure and have to guess on the chicken and egg question.....much like the Rossi group being in common on a lot of machines and the interchange between the old Zacconi machines and Sama and Ponte Vecchio, not to mention La Pavoni groups being on a lot of Spanish and Italian machines. The 4 bolt pattern is not that uncommon but the pipe setup is.....bolt a Sama Export (PV) on a Cremina, it works you know (if the bolts match up you can do anything), but somehow seems beyond Frankenstein.

somehow seems beyond Frankenstein

Nothing is beyond Dr Frankenstein! Not even modesty

Hello there Doug,

in your opinion what would be the best choice of group head for a modern lever machine? An existing item would be the first choice.