peacecup wrote:I wanted to be sure that no one damaged their machine assuming that since I have not seen grounds in the group during multiple pulls, they would have the same results.

cannonfodder wrote:Here is a little trick I have been using lately...
Normally you have to let the machine sit for a moment or two so it can depressurize...
So if you are in a hurry and need to pull a second shot in rapid sequence, try raising the piston about half a stroke and unlock your portafilter, but please be cautious just in case.

Because of the manual nature of this machine, you do suffer the dreaded "portafilter sneeze" if you try to remove the PF too soon after pulling a shot. There is a trick to minimize it - lift the lever about 3/4 of the way to relieve some pressure inside the portafilter and grouphead.

HB wrote:Damage what?

Even if a few errant grounds made it past the dispersion screen into the piston chamber, they aren't going far. The rising piston will create an air space with a smidgen of coffee grounds at the bottom; the piston reaches the fill hole; the chamber fills with water. Next the water pushes the grounds back out through the dispersion screen. End of story.

1. Fill a old margarine tub with a tsp of Caffiza or equal. add boiling water
2. Remove PF
3. Immerse the bottom of the group in the foaming cleaner solution. Either raise the manual lever or pull down the spring lever to draw the solution in through the screen.
4. Hold what you have for a while and expel.
   NOTE: You can replace water in the tub with clean to do a rinse cycle also

stsmytherie wrote:Perhaps more frequent preventive maintenance on the part of the previous owner would have helped.

srobinson wrote:Job 5, Cleaning the Dispersion Screen

For those of you thinking that my morning went smoothly, let me tell you a little secret: "The Coffee Gods have a nasty sense of humor". Fresh from a string of good luck with the group head, I started to clean the silly little dispersion screen. Tried scrubbing, tried cleaner, tried straight dishwashing detergent, tried toothbrushes, tried scrub bushes...none would work. What was lodged into every little machined hole of Swiss Miss' dispersion screen was the equivalent of petrified black tar. The only way I could get it out was to use a sewing needle and work each hole.



My 5 minute job resulted in being the longest task of the day taking over one hour to complete. Had I been on Monster House, I would not be leaving with the Makita tool kit or welder. But, on the bright side the group head is completely apart, usable and now ready for rechroming.

mogogear wrote:I do use the following to help keep the bottom of the piston bore clean in my levers:

mogogear wrote: I only draw/flush my levers about 1-2 times a year. So I don't over do it for sure. I am a little leery of popping the screen off a lot since they are not super available.