john402052000 wrote:Thanks -- I'll take and post some more photos. On both Stephano's site and Orphan Espresso's they just have two rebuild kits, pre-millenium and millennium. I guess I just have to figure out which type I have.

millennium for the year 2000
however see here for one of the many foolproof way to know
http://www.espressocare.com/la-pavoni-m ... comparison

If you've got the brass/copper element, most kits won't have the proper flat gasket, and will instead have the o-ring for the modern SS elements.

That's a nice looking old 2nd generation machine. It's showing rust on a lever pin so it's time to take it apart, clean it up and replace seals. It'll function much better with a rebuild and thorough lubrication will prevent excess wear from the lever pins.

Thanks for all the help.

The rust is recent, but I'll take care of that.

It sounds like there's some discrepancy about whether this is pre-millenium or millennium, or am I misreading the comments?

OK -- I just measured the diameter of the group head and it's 50mm. So it looks like a pre-millenium. Thanks for the help.

There are three very different versions of the La Pavoni group. The first generation machines were built before they were even branded La Pavoni, starting in 1958 and running to 1974. The whole group screwed into the boiler. It was all brass and chrome and had an inner brass cylinder. These were very temperature stable and were hard to service before they were made with a removable shower screen that allowed easy removal of the piston. Here's the reference thread for all three generations.

http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/lapavoni_ep_eng.htm

The second version, widely known as "pre-Millennium," was still all brass and chrome but lost the inner brass sleeve with its heat sink properties. It's easier to service because it's fastened to the boiler with two bolts. But these overheat more easily. That's the version you've got, and temperature can be controlled with good technique.

Reaching the Zen Zone with a Two Switch La Pavoni

The third generation introduced in 2000, aka "Millennium," is better temperature controlled because it once again has an inner sleeve. But the materials are mass production plastic. The first of these had plastic pistons that may have helped prevent overheating but deteriorated quickly. The group shape externally resembles the first-generation but is held on with two bolts.

There are many posts on this site about how build quality steadily deteriorated. For example, the base was once cast of aluminum and was very firm and resistant to corrosion. The current version is thin, stamped, plain steel that's plated, easily rusts, and flexes with a strong lever pull.

They've introduced visually attractive third generation machines, but none match the early build quality. There were some technical improvements over the years as can be seen on Francesco's reference page.

Thanks Gary -- I ordered the group head rebuild gasket kit from OE. I managed to pull a good shot this morning but wrapped a towel around the base as it was reaching temp.