Sorry if you've already tried this, but have you pushed the portafilter gasket all the way in? When I ran into the issue you described I learned I needed to tuck it in further. My tool of choice for that is a wooden chopstick. Anything else blunt will do. Another common way to snug it in there is to insert the portafilter and try and turn it and the portafilter itself can move the gasket into place. This may be easier without the filter basket installed.

Thanks Gary, could be- I'll give it a try.

Knowing that it does seem a bit off, I'll try to send a picture tonight to help if things don't fall into place.

Eastsideloco wrote:Can't beat that price on the Elektra basket.

Pricing on the OEM basket isn't nearly as interesting . . .

While I can't speak to functionality on a Maximatic/Livietta, when used in a Cremina, the Elektra baskets simply work better than the OEM baskets. They're quite different in size and capacity. Here's a photo I put up about three years ago with double OEM and double Elektra baskets side by side.

The Dow 111 Valve lubricant helps things slide into place:

http://www.orphanespresso.com/Dow-Corni ... _1348.html

I suspect the gasket will be more difficult to seat without the lube.

Thanks all, I would certainly not be this close if it were not for you all!

So I was able to get the gasket in no problem after a thorough soak in detergent and a scrub with a brush

Now I finally have a complete setup- a 49mm grouphead, new Richard Penney bottomless PF, and a couple of Elektra double baskets. I descaled the machine, scrubbed the grouphead and screen until new, and ran a couple batches of clear water through the machine to rinse.

So onto my first pour.... I crank up the machine, let it warm up, and ran a quick flush. I strap on the PF and run the machine and start staring into the bottomless PF.... the machine makes a lot of noise and nothing comes out after about 15 seconds. Well, nothing out of the PF at least.

I quickly learned that all of the water is pouring out of the bottom of the machine where the red button is located- I now realize this restoration is going to be a much bigger project than anticipated. It seems to me like I'm not getting enough pressure to pull the shot, as the water is leaking right out the bottom of the machine.

If anyone can point me to a thread for troubleshooting this problem it would be madly appreciated. Cheers!

I would take the case off and fire it up again. You should be able to determine the source of the leak pretty easily by examining from various angles til you spot it. If the leak only happens as boiler pressure builds, and if you can tell if it's boiler water & not reservoir water, i'd say it sounds like a worn-out leaky boiler/element gasket. If this is the case, good current info can be found here.

If it is indeed boiler water leaking, i strongly advise to only perform tests with a full boiler & don't let it run long, or else it might drain dangerously low enough to burn out your element. Needing a new element is way worse than needing a new boiler gasket!

But since you say you've had it up & flushing, i guess that means you have maintained full boiler pressure without issue? In that case it could just be a pump failure, or a leaky hose or tube between the res, pump, and HX. Upside there is that replacement pumps & tubing are not hard to find. The open-case checkup should reveal all.

Firing it up the first time after servicing a machine is called a "pressure test." Leaks at this point are common if you've got a used machine. It doesn't mean there's anything seriously wrong, but you do need to be careful because you've got electricity and water. So be careful.

When you get the back off of your machine show us photos. Many of us, including me, have done frame off restorations of these, so we know where things fit together. Spromo's probably got it right. Even though it's distressing it's leaking instead of making espresso, it's probably something easily fixable or replaceable. Even if it's a pump that's not very expensive.

I would be interested to know whether it leaks when you activate the brew switch or if it does so otherwise. That could help isolate the problem.

You guys are flipping rockstars.

So I may have isolated the problem, but do want to open up the case for a thorough inspection. I take it I need to take the boiler cap off and simply remove the nut on the boiler stem that holds this to the top plate? Stupid question I know but I want to make sure I'm doing this right.

So onto my analysis- In cranking it up once again I did notice a spot of leakage behind where the grouphead connects to the screen, a couple torques of the hex bolts and I finally got some espresso out of the GH! (albeit a little). Now I still see a little bit of leakage coming out the bottom towards the front now, but much less than before.

In removing the GH I notice that the gasket that connects it to the machine is as hard as steel- this confirms my suspicion that I am simply lacking a good connection at this point. Now I do have the original 54mm grouphead and the gasket is still nice and rubbery on that one- I could likely make this one of use for now while I source a new one.

So my question is two fold: a) would anybody be able to spec this gasket for me? b) any tips on getting a gasket that's turned to titanium off this bad boy? I've seen a number of tips on this board (dental pick, screw, screwdriver) but was hoping for any other tips you may have at your disposal.

Thanks so much for your help everyone- I'd be nowhere if it wasn't for the HB crew!

Paul,

The last thing you want is a little leaking going on unknown to you. My Coffex aka Maximatic had that in the clip that holds the water tank and it was a mess of rust before I restored it.

Yes, remove the boiler cap (when cool) and nut, lift out the top plate and you'll easily remove the case. Take a good look around not just for leaks but for anything else that may not look right, like electrical connections. There are several threads on here showing the insides of this machine. Orphan Espresso also has a brief video tour.

Getting a rock hard group gasket off may require some fuss. You want to avoid gouging grooves in the gasket mating surfaces on the group and boiler. To get at it properly without scratching the front plate you'll want to do some disassembly per those restoration threads. Keep track of your parts, maybe putting them in bags or food storage containers. When disassembling I like to photograph each step so I can reconstruct it.

Thanks again guys will be sure to update once I get the top off and run a thorough inspection. Lucky for me this thing is in pretty rock solid shape so far (knock on wood).

So after breaking a knife on this thing I was able to get all of the old gasket off this thing and put the newer one on. I pulled a shot and drumroll..... no leakage!!! Glorious day

Here is a video, would love feedback and critique!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee6ClHX ... e=youtu.be