The unknown ITALA: A story of violence, romance, and disaster - Page 2

Need help with equipment usage or want to share your latest discovery?
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another_jim
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#11: Post by another_jim »

The screw with the plus/minus is the set screw. Plus is hotter.
Jim Schulman

Fidel (original poster)
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#12: Post by Fidel (original poster) replying to another_jim »

Oh my god, I took the picture and I didn't notice that. Wow I am really off today lol.

Alan Frew
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#13: Post by Alan Frew »

Fidel wrote:Alan Frew, I think this is what you are talking about
<image>
it looked pretty clean after a soak in some cafiza.
<image>
heres the dispersion disk, it still doesn't budge after one descaling with citric acid.
<image>

SJM, that looks just like it! Any ideas on how to adjust it? do i just turn the screw atop of it?

another_Jim, I wonder if the thermometer plug mod that people do to their e61 group head machines would be useful in measuring the boiler temperature to some degree.

Thank you guys for your input.

Here are a few updates:
+Green lettering beneath the boiler read "QBA432357ASTM" I think its a serial number.
+The over pressure valve doesn't appear to be working... and it has 2 return hoses into the water tank (never seen that before). I connected my portafilter pressure gauge to one of the portafilters and got some high readings (13 bar from the pf gauge and 14 bar from the machine mounted boiler pressure gauge) and yet NO water came out from the either of the two return hoses . instead the pump worked really hard and came to a stop (its still functioning thank god).

Here are some pictures to better describe the weird over pressure valve:

<image>
Three hoses all together
<image>

I'll disassemble and clean the over pressure valve, but I really dont know why there are three hoses lol.
No, the original Pavoni groups are set up more like a modern day Silvia, a bolt going through a flat plate showerscreen, a water distributor and a solid dispersion plate. This one is E-61 "common", a cup held in place by the group gasket.

Alan

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erics
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#14: Post by erics »

. . . here's the dispersion disk, it still doesn't budge after one descaling with citric acid.
Then fashion this tool from a properly sized (thickness wise) fender washer that has a flat ground into it. Clamp the washer with some visegrips and you are all set.



The paint can lid remover is the best(?) tool for removing the dispersion screen/grouphead gasket.
Skål,

Eric S.
http://users.rcn.com/erics/
E-mail: erics at rcn dot com

SJM
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#15: Post by SJM »

heres the dispersion disk, it still doesn't budge after one descaling with citric acid
Someone correct me here, but isn't the dispersion disc more likely to be gummed up with coffee oils than with scale? Wouldn't Cafiza be better for loosening its grip than Citric Acid?

Susan

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homeburrero
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#16: Post by homeburrero »

Fidel wrote: heres the dispersion disk, it still doesn't budge after one descaling with citric acid
It looks pretty clean, I think I would not remove it. (I've never removed mine.) Normally people just leave it in place, clean it with a soft brush when they clean the dispersion screen.

Is normal threaded, but when unscrewing take care that you aren't thinking upside-down. When lying on your back and looking up at it, you should be turning it CCW.

It might help if you were to heat the group up good and hot, then cool just the dispersion disk with an ice cube, then try to unscrew it. Others have reported some luck using penetrating oil, but you'd need to get it up into where the threads are, and would have to deal with getting the brewpath all cleaned out afterward.
Pat
nínádiishʼnahgo gohwééh náshdlį́į́h

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homeburrero
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#17: Post by homeburrero »

SJM wrote:Someone correct me here, but isn't the dispersion disc more likely to be gummed up with coffee oils than with scale? Wouldn't Cafiza be better for loosening its grip than Citric Acid?
Good point - That part of the group should see lots of coffee residue, some periodic backflush detergent, but practically no scale.
Pat
nínádiishʼnahgo gohwééh náshdlį́į́h

Fidel (original poster)
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#18: Post by Fidel (original poster) »

Good points everyone, and I'll try to make that tool erics. This machine is at least 20 years old so i figured id give it a disassemble and deep clean, that's why I wanted to remove the dispersion disk. But honestly I opened up the rest of the e61 ( the mushroom, pressure release, etc.) and it was all still very clean. very little scale or anything. Props to the previous owner! I am concerned about the pump, it is still working like a champ but the thing is almost as old as I am. i don't know if I Should replace it, or attempt to rebuild/clean it, or just leave it alone.

I have yet to backflush with cafiza, susan. I actually had to order another piece. the https://www.chriscoffee.com/Air-Release ... 530023.htm. I have to replace this piece before I can do anything else.

To any readers who are looking for parts for this machine, it was a huge pain to find parts, but I managed to get some from chriscoffee and there were also parts at the espressocare website.

Thanks for all of the input everyone.
next steps are adjusting pressure, replacing steam tip (going from a 4 hole tip to a smaller two hole tip), make a plug screw thermometer for the e61
group head, and adjusting the temperature regulator (or a possible PID type option in the future. if I decide to do this I will document with pictures and post in the forum)

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