This is a great thread with helpful pictures of the process of the rebuild.
I've got a Bezzera BZ99 S/M (that is pretty much identical on the inside as the Livia 90) and has served me well for many years now, with regular maintenance. This morning I turned it on and the power button lights up, the pump and water level light all work, but the heating element light does not come on and the machine does not heat. I'm wondering if there is a boiler reset button on this machine I've never seen, or if it needs a new element. It is plugged into a GFCI outlet and it does not trip the beaker. Any advice or help would greeatly be appreciated.

Were you able to figured this out? If not I would check the resistance of the heat element which will tell you the condition of it. It may need replacement.

Hi,

Almost a year later and my Livia 90 is still operating perfectly and I have learned a ton about how to make espresso.

I wanted to add a post to answer my own question about the start and stop of the water from the group head that several others have also experienced.

It's perfectly normal and is NOT a function of an error in the pump, or water flow. What is happening is that when turned on for a while, the water sits in the heat exchanger and overheats. This overheated water naturally turns to steam. When turning on the flow, first a little bit of water that is between the HX and the group head flows, then it will hiss with steam, then turn back to water again. I think this is part of the "riding the hump" that people refer to when discussing HX machines such as this one.

So, with that said, the trick for me on this machine is to first run about 2-4 oz of water through the machine then shut it off, and then pop in the portafilter with espresso, and then pull a shot.

Other random notes that have really gotten my espresso making much closer to what i find when I go to a third-wave coffee shop. (A shout out to a great little coffee shop in Bristol, RI called Angelina's that pulls outstanding espresso by Blue Bottle and New Harvest)

-I cut the bottom of one of my portafilters for a bottomless portafilter. This enabled my single biggest learning step.
-upgraded my grinder to a Macap M4. What an improvement.
-20 grams espresso with a 24 gram resulting espresso shot at the 28 second mark makes a fantastic Ristretto.

Ok then, happy espresso'ing.

Great thread. You really got to know your machine inside and out. Having that mechanical knowledge is an asset when it is time to put it to work like you did. And knowing the tricks of maximizing its engineering quirks is really cool. I relate with a few tricks I've learned by using my newly acquired Silvia that needed a new boiler when it reached me.
Have fun!

Carter,
If you are still using that steel bar stock for a tamper, show us a picture of your arm! Seriously, that would be a workout!
If "Arnold" drank espresso, that is what he'd use, or an Olympic dumbbell

cool thread.

Hey guys I work as a Barista and just got my own livia 90 for my house. I got it from my parents house cuz they never used it and It's an older one and wasn't run in about five years. I ran it a few times to get things back into shape before trying to brew (and cleaning it obviously) but when I did get everything going smoothly and pulled the shots I couldn't get any crema to pull. I've tried multiple times and couldn't get anything. I've tried different amount of grinds, letting it heat up longer, etc. any ideas?

Wow that is very strange.
What kind of grinder you using?
I've never had problems with not getting crema.

Fired it up again, and voila!. Pump works, boiler pressure gauge works (1,2 bar), no leaks anywhere, no hissing, and hot water at the group head.

I didn't see anywhere that you address how you fixed the boiler pressure gauge. I had a machine that was working just fine, but after a cross-country move I pulled it out to discover the pressure gauge was out of whack. I ran it a few times and while it pulled a shot, something was just off. So now it's just sat for awhile before I decided to dig in to the thing to troubleshoot and get her running again. Did you end up replacing that gauge or was there something else that was somehow tied to getting it working again? I sure appreciate any insight you can offer.

Hi all again,

I really do need to set this thread to notify me when someone posts, so I can be more prompt with my replies.

Anyway, cls, I simply replaced my pressure gauge. Mine was simply stuck at pegged, whether on or off. I found an exact replacement through the Pavoni website. (I think it was $35, or something along those lines.)

85cbarista, I recommend a few things to dial you in.

First, what is your grinder? Having a grinder meant for actual espresso is critical. The $150 versions of burr grinders just won't cut it. Although they will do great pour-overs, their motors are just not strong enough for espresso.

Second, every new coffee roast try will take a lot to dial in a good shot. Sometimes I get lucky and get close within 2-3 shots, but other times it will take 6-7 shots to get the shot right. At Angelina's in Bristol, RI, the proprietor, Jason, will go through a 1/2lb of a new roast to get his pulls up to speed for a new roast.

Thirdly, if you are still not getting things right, I would give the machine a good cleaning. Starting with the shower screen. Mine was not even there when I acquired my machine. I imagine it probably got plugged and then tossed.

Fourthly, test the water temps. If left to run long enough to get over the temp hump of steam, it should run around 196 or thereabouts. I say this with trepidation as it's been 8 months or so since I last tested the water temp and I can't remember exactly what it is. It should be up close to boiling, but not boiling to be in the ballpark.

Fifthly, consistency is key. Your tamp pressure should be identical every time. The weight of epresso in the portafilter should be the same every time, the time of shot should be the same every time, your water temp should be the same every time. This will leave the grind particle size as the only variable. This is the ideal scenario. Do I achieve this? Nope, but I try, and trying to achieve this goal has gotten my shots better and better and better.

And now back to the regularly scheduled process of discovering how little I know as I learn more. My latest is getting lent an aftermarket laser cut portafilter basket. A La Marzocco 17g. Ok then. Just what I needed, another $30 that I must spend. A serious upgrade. Hard to describe exactly, but just a smoother more controlled pull. Also taught me that my old double basket really wasn't big enough for the size shots I was pulling.

A year plus into this machine and I am still on the up curve.