Now, the big news is that the piston is out! I used the little round tube-like thing that one of the lever pins fits in to force it out (fairly gently) with my rubber mallet. The intake hole is nowhere near the tube, and I do think that's got to be a problem. It also seems that it's too high; the piston doesn't clear it. My piston isn't unscrewed at all from the shaft, and that was what the original problem was thought to be. I think it's the intake hole. Maybe the sleeve has shifted down? Or something. Now, I just got this thing in February. Do you really think I need to replace everything? I will, if necessary, and I'll replace the piston with brass things if necessary, too, but I'm not sure they will replace it exactly. In other words, maybe the fit is a bit different? I don't know.

Took a photo of the innards. There's some grey ooky stuff around the hole the shaft goes through. The intake hole is straight down. Although I downsized the photo a lot, I think you can probably see it.
OK, no go. The upload image thing isn't doing anything. I'll try it from my mac. edit: Yaay! Got it!



I just measured the depth of the piston and the intake hole. It blocks the hole when pulled back up. What next? The sleeve is fitting all the way on the bottom of the thing it sits in, and would have to be pulled down to allow the hole to be exposed, and that would push out the basket.

Hi Gatewood, I just took my Pavoni apart, to see if I could help you. Is it the same generation as yours. My piston does not clear the intake hole either, but I have no problems with water flow. My intake hole is also misaligned with the tube, and I think it is supposed to be like that. I think the water is supposed to flow behind the plastic sleeve to heat up the group head. I think you may have some problems between the plastic sleeve and the group head. Try to push the piston all the way in, and then blow through the tube. If you have a block between the plastic sleeve and the group head, no air will escape from the intake hole. Remember the tube has to be in, as the plastic sleeve is open at the top. This may sound a little confusing, so let me know if I should explain further.

Smile

/Anders

I don't think I understand. I just got the piston out, and I'm supposed to put it back in? Ooooooo. Anyhow, why can't I just blow through the tube and if air goes in, all should be OK? I just did that, and air goes in, but I can't tell if it's coming out the intake hole. I don't really think it is. So, I really do need to put that piston back? Can I block the hole some other way?

Hi Gatewood,
I haven't been following this thread too closely since I've no experience with the newer model Pavonis. You may have already tried this, but it looks to me like that plastic sleeve can be removed, probably by unscrewing it. That may be what those two slots in the end are for.

bill wrote:Hi Gatewood,
I haven't been following this thread too closely since I've no experience with the newer model Pavonis. You may have already tried this, but it looks to me like that plastic sleeve can be removed, probably by unscrewing it. That may be what those two slots in the end are for.

I did try; I think it would take a special tool if it does unscrew, but it's very, very tight.

Anders, I tried to stop the top of the group with my finger and blow through the tube, and air does come out the intake hole. Maybe I just need to put this whole thing back together and see if it's working. I doubt it is, though. I will order replacement parts before I do any more damage.

Hi Gatewood, there is really no other good way to test this. You have to put the piston back. If it is very difficult to do, something is wrong. My piston moves very easily in and out of the plastic sleeve. The problem is that the sleeve is open at the top, allowing air to escape that way. Did you post pictures of your piston, I don't remember. Maybe it reveals something.

You should not try to remove the sleeve unless you are sure the problem lies behind it. It is not screwed in, but held by a gasket.

Smile

/Anders

I thought you'd probably tried it. You're right in not forcing it. Hopefully someone with experience taking the sleeve out can help. I do think it needs to be removed to see what the problem is. My bet is it's something very simple! You should be back to sipping espresso in no time.
By the way, how did you like the coffee from Cafe Fresco?

AndersNygaard wrote:Hi Gatewood, there is really no other good way to test this. You have to put the piston back. If it is very difficult to do, something is wrong. My piston moves very easily in and out of the plastic sleeve. The problem is that the sleeve is open at the top, allowing air to escape that way. Did you post pictures of your piston, I don't remember. Maybe it reveals something.

You should not try to remove the sleeve unless you are sure the problem lies behind it. It is not screwed in, but held by a gasket.

Smile

/Anders

I'm going to try. However, from the schematic, I'm missing a gasket at the top. In my photo, the grey gunk around the hole the shaft goes through is hard and crumbly. Maybe it's the decaying remains of the missing gasket? OK, so it's not, but why don't I have anything between that brass thing with the gunk in it and my piston top? Photos of piston:

'

Piston is back in, tube is in, I blew in the tube, and air goes through. But it's not going through freely. I have to puff a little, but it definitely does go through. And what a job it was to get the gasket on the piston to go back where it came from! I did try the butter; it helped.

What advice do any of you have for my next step? I have several burning questions:

1. Do I really have to replace all the gaskets? What about the one going from the tube?

2. Do I need to get brass piston thingies? Will they truly fit?

3. How do I order from espressoparts when their schematic is nothing like mine? Should I just call?

4. Help.

Thanks for all your help, all of you, so far. I might get through this yet. I'd love for my Pavoni to be functional again. I like Brikka, but it's not the be all and end all.

Gatewood, I am not sure I understand you. Your piston looks fine, and the top of the group head also looks fine. When you look into the group head, you should see a retainer clip around the center hole. If this is in place, the gasket is probably also there somewhere. Maybe you are confusing the gasket used to hold the plastic sleeve (the top large gasket in the exploded view on Pavoni's home page), with the small one at the top of the group head.

I cannot find the cable for my digital camera (just moved), so I cannot post pictures of my own. I will look for it later tonight, but in the meanwhile you should try to put the piston back in, and blow. Start with the piston all the way up. You should be able to blow freely, and the air will escape only through the small hole in the plastic sleeve. Then, while blowing, lower the piston until it blocks the little hole, and you feel the flow of air is restricted.

If you are not able to blow freely with the piston at the top, your machine are somehow blocked between the sleeve and the group head. Then you have to remove the sleeve, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it

Smile

/Anders