I have a La Pavoni Europiccola Millenium edition and the machine was swivelling around on the base so I replaced the boiler<->base gaskets, the problem is that with the base tightened down the element cap does not line up with the holes in the base tightening ring.

The small pipe that goes to the thermostat means that the element cap will only fit in a single position and it does not seem possible to turn the pipe as it seems to be welded/glued in place.

It's easier explained with a photo...


Any advice would be much appreciated.

normally the pipes are fitting/bent in to position after
the pipe is a fitting and can be unscrewed (there is thread sealant on it)
however you can try very carefully and slow to bend the pipe,
90% of the times you can do it without kinking it or sharply bending it
a small screw driver handle or a round dowel can help you to re-curve it without damage

Thanks Stefano - I'm not sure I've got the courage to try and bend the pipe, it needs moving by a significant amount to get it into position and if it breaks I'm a bit stuffed.

Is the nut at the base of the pipe just a locknut that can be loosened, then the pipe swivelled and the locknut tightened again? It's hard to tell as the nut is covered with sealant as you say.

If you are concerned about kinking the tube while doing major bending operations, you can fill it with fine sand and sealing the ends shut. Make sure you clean out all the sand when you're done, though

It also helps to have a "cheater" to give leverage and a good grip when doing final bending.
Here's how I formed a replacement tube for my machine:

Rebuilding Faema Astor Lever - bending the tube

and

Rebuilding Faema Astor Lever - final tube tweaking

Shim it with another gasket and then you can use sandpaper to reduce the thickness (if necessary) until the holes come around into proper position.

Ray

Gianni non avevo notato che eri in italia,
comunque il tubo e' facile da piegare
rimuovilo completamente metti un po di thread seal food grade e riposizionalo
in caso di rottura lo puoi ordinare
e disponibile come pezzo di ricambio

Va bene ci proverò. Ho visto sul tuo sito che si può comperare il tubo dritto da piegare, e allora nel caso peggiore...
-Phill