Hi Guys,

Well, I've begun to notice a slight leak at the base of the nut on the sight glass of my early 1970s Cremina. I've checked with the back of the machine off and it seems the only place that has sprung a leak.

Now I realise that I'll probably have to change the sight glass seals, something that will require me ordering them from Orphan Espresso. (Damn, I just received my last order in the international post from them a few weeks back. Why can't everything breakdown at once?).

Anyway, before I change the sight glass seals, which Doug warns on his site is no easy job, I first want to try to tighten the nut. I can't really get at it easily from the back because of the pressure stat, so I want to get at it from the front. This requires the faceplate to be removed.

Tell me, is there any easy way to do this? I'm hoping there is an simpler way to do this than set out on Doug's site in relation to changing the sight glass seals http://www.orphanespresso.com/Olympia-C...571-1.html .

I really don't feel like taking off the steam valve faucet, group et al just to tighten a nut. Must I?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Robert

It'd be much easier to loosen the pressurestat nut and slightly twist it out of the way to allow access to that nut. At least on mine I can do so... it's a '77 model. I wouldn't try cranking down on that nut too much though, maybe 1/8 turn MAX to see if it helps. Too much pressure could possibly lead to cracking the tube.

Another thing to try would be removing the glass tube/seals and adding a bit of food grade lube, such as Dow 111, to those seals then reinstall them as that might solve the problem if the seals are in decent shape.

If you can't get to the nut this way, then the faceplate may have to be removed as described by OE.

I've done a couple of rebuilds, and while it's certainly not as easy as flushing a toilet, the disassembly of a Cremina ranks pretty low in level of effort (provided that you have the right tools: 15mm and 17mm open-ended wrenches and a jeweller's size flathead screwdriver). I'd strongly suggest taking the time to follow OE's instructions. Use a piece of paper to label the location for each screw/nut. It took me about 3 hours to do the first rebuild, and that includes time spent learning how it's assembled. The second effort took < 90 minutes, because I had developed familiarity with the assembly. It's really quite an elegant package, and just requires a little patience.

chopinhauer wrote:I really don't feel like taking off the steam valve faucet, group et al just to tighten a nut. Must I?

Probably not, but here's my counterpoint: if you've developed a leak by now, wouldn't it make more sense just to do a complete gasket rebuild if not just for the peace of mind?

By comparison, I'd say that it's about as easy as disassembling a Wii (y'know, for when the local toddler decides to use it as a piggy bank... ).


-s.

It is funny that it always seems to be the lower nut that leaks on the sight glass and this is likely due to the difficulty at giving it a little turn with a normal size 17mm open end wrench. You can make a special wrench to fit in there by grinding down a generic 17mm, which helps and you can also loosen or remove the panel screw at that corner of the face plate and the panel will push out just enough to get in there and tighten the nut from the back. You can remove the pstat entirely to make space if that helps and no new parts needed to re install the stat.
If the seal is baked hard, tightening the nut may not cure the leak since the function of tightning is to compress the seal so it expands against the glass. If the glass is not cracked at the bottom it is very difficult to break it while tightening
Since we did the original Cremina rebuild manual (I am still amazed at how well that manual has stood the test of time) I have come up with some new ways to replace the sight glass, easier and easier all the time, but you do need to take the face plate off to do it..... we are now using two silicone o rings instead of the old rubber square seal. Dow 111 the rings and pop them in the sockets both upper and lower...use the thin brass bearing washer if you have it, but lube everything with Dow. Take the nut and JUST catch a thread both upper and lower.....generously apply some organic lube (spit) to the sight glass end and slide it smoothly to the bottom socket. Inspect the top to see that the top rim is just under the hole in the square channel or you can feel it hit bottom (seat it using a wood stick), align the stripe and tighten the nuts. Since the silicone rings are so cushy your really feel secure in putting a good torque on the nuts and confident that you will have no leaks when you put the group, steam faucet et al back on, but it is a good idea not to install that bottom face plate bolt(ette) until you heat cycle and check for leaks. It is always a good idea to run the machine for a few hours and then remove the pstat again and tighten the sight glass nuts again since the heat will generally allow you to tighten those nuts another 1/4 turn or so until they feel snug, and by snug just that, not gorilla fisted hammered down, but snug....almost the equivalent feel as when you are tightening the boiler cap or the steam valve.
My last teardown was rebuilt by a gorilla on steroids and I always feel so bad to see a machine that has been mistreated this way.
90 minutes for a rebuild....complete? Including removing the boiler element plate? Pretty durn good if so....I can take a Cremina completely apart in about 10 minutes on a good day but once everything is cleaned to perfection it is too hard to not just relax and enjoy oneself while putting that Swiss watch back together....if I did it in 90 minutes I would feel like I had shorted myself on one of life's little pleasures!

Doug et al.,

Didn't mean to mislead anyone. 90 minutes' worth of work includes the disassembly & reassembly only. Time spent soaking in citric or scraping off baked washers was certainly not included .

My point is that the Cremina is one of those rare pieces that is designed so well that you can't help but appreciate it, and that your appreciation will grow once you take it apart and put it back together.

-s.

Thanks for all the input, guys.

I just looked through my Olympia spare parts box that I've buit up over the past 4 years, and yes, it seems I have a set of replacement o-rings and washers from a complete gasket set replacement ordered from Olympia years ago.

As a result I think I will take the machine to pieces and replace the seals, rather than just try to tighten the nut.

Once I've done this in the next week or so, I'll report back. Until then my back-up Pavoni europiccola will have to do. Actually, after a few poor results first up the Pavoni is beginning to churn out espressos in the ball-park to those of the Cremina. It isn't as consistent, or as easy, and more finicky, but still it will more than suffice until the Cremina is up and running.

Ah, the luxuries of having 2 lever machines!

Robert

OK, guys I will close this thread with good news and bad news.

The good news is that I did get the faceplate off with great ease, and it doesn't take all that long. As always, just follows Doug's instructions at Orphan Espresso and things are easy.

The bad news is, that having got the plate off and I then proceeded to break my site glass in the effort to remove it. Pure leaden-handed clumsiness on my part, not inadequate Orphan Espresso instructions were to blame.

So, I will now start a new thread about replacing the site glass explaining what I did wrong, and giving progress in my efforts to put a new one in (once I order it from Doug and it gets here).

cheers

Robert

One thing that keeps me digging thru old posts on H-B is poring through old posts in pursuit of knowledge but enduring very dry readings at times. Then again it becomes worth it when minutae can provide hidden gems of beautiful prose. The following from Doug is simply classic:

"My last teardown was rebuilt by a gorilla on steroids and I always feel so bad to see a machine that has been mistreated this way.
90 minutes for a rebuild....complete? Including removing the boiler element plate? Pretty durn good if so....I can take a Cremina completely apart in about 10 minutes on a good day but once everything is cleaned to perfection it is too hard to not just relax and enjoy oneself while putting that Swiss watch back together....if I did it in 90 minutes I would feel like I had shorted myself on one of life's little pleasures!"

Doug Garrott

Makes owning older machines an adventure and such a pleasure just to get insight from the wizards out there.