Hi everybody

I've just refurbished my Izzo MyWay Vivi (2011 version) with new internal springs, gaskets and valves.
But the preinfusion valve seems to protrude too far into the cam pocket area (or, it doesn't look it, but the cam lever is extremely tight).



This is my new cam operating bit clearly showing wear after only 5 lever pulls!



I noticed that the kit included 3 big teflon washers and the instructions said to place one between the grouphead part and the preinfusion part. When I do this, the cam operates as intended (having the valve protrude a couple mm less into the chamber) BUT it isn't sealed properly and the gasket deforms and leaks.

It's worth mentioning that there was NO teflon gasket when I disassembled this and instruction videos doesn't show this gasket either. So I don't think this should be used. Apart from the gasket deforming, my grill on top of the water tray almost has no room below the exhaust part.



So since the e61 kit seems to rely on this "spacer" in order to perform, but the e61 doesn't seem to neither need nor fit this gasket, it seems that my only option is to sand/dremel down the top of the preinfusion valve 1 mm or something like that. It just seems odd, since this kit was bought specifically for my machine.

When looking at the former preinfusion valve I took out, it's clear that this seems worn/sanded down, but the operating cam brass part looked fine.

Isn't this a bit odd? Do you dremel down your preinfusion valve?

...or shoud I disassemble the top part of the valve and add a small spacer?

Edit: scratch this, this will not help the protrusion into the chamber.

AndersHP wrote:...or shoud I disassemble the top part of the valve and add a small spacer?

From the pics... Your old one is definitely worn down as well as badly "muffin topping".
If you hold your new and old preinf-valves side by side, how badly worn is the old one?

But. Put the cam in place, can the new one close fully when the cam is in brew position? If so, it's fine.

Lastly, with a gasket between the head and preinfusion chamber, it should NOT leak. Make sure you've gotten the old gasket out from the groove, and anything else that might be stuck up there. If the new gasket is correct it will "shoulder" up into the groove and not distort.

It's worn something like 1 mm. But the cam part seems fine, so I'm suspecting it's dremeled.

The brew position is fine, it's when operating the cam into the exhaust position that there's so much resistance you almost hear the brass parts dying

There was no gasket between the two parts and no groove!

Ensure that you get original parts. Not all groups are identical.
Perhaps the cam should be replaced. I do it about every 5 years
The gasket below the body looks pretty thick.

Just to be clear. I have never sanded the cam-rider end of a valve to make it shorter.
I have wire brushed then to chamfer off the sharpened edge worn into them, but very carefully so as not to shorten their over-all length.
I assume you lubricated the valves and the cam before re-assembly and it's still difficult to open the pre-infuse and drain valves... I really think you'll be better off with the gasket properly in place.

The worn spot on the cam is quite ugly. But beyond that...

Install the top and bottom of the group with their valves in place.
Remove the cam from the lever assembly and slip it into the group where it belongs, between the stems of the valves. In the cam's 'at rest' center position, It should fit with just a bit of freeplay when rotated.

If the new valves came complete with new rubber seals, and the valves were the same size (overall length) as the old valves, there should be more clearance than before the overhaul. If they sent thicker teflon gaskets it could be to compensate for a different valve length.

When I overhauled my E61 with new rubber seals on the valves, I 'made' teflon sealing gaskets. I screwed the valve body in leaving a gap of a millimeter or two, and then I rolled teflon tape into string as I went, and wrapped and wrapped it around and around into the gap. When no more would fit I tightened the valve's housing to compress the tape, the loosened it and repeated the winding until the proper size gasket was made.

But beyond all that, if you do not have a dial caliper, a digital one can be had at places like Home Depot or (ughhh) Tractor Supply to measure the old valves and compare to the new. BUT.. looking at the deep wear on the cam and the severe flattening of the end of the valve you showed, I wonder if there has always been a problem of some sort?

cafeIKE wrote:Ensure that you get original parts. Not all groups are identical.
Perhaps the cam should be replaced. I do it about every 5 years
The gasket below the body looks pretty thick.

This is IMPORTANT to know. When the replacement parts were ordered did you specify that your machine was a 2011 Izzo?

The cam is new, the wear was for the 5 lever-pulls, and the picture was just to show that I think the preinfusion valve is too long.

The kit is ordered specifically for my Vivi, yes.

My bad, there actually WAS a gasket between brewhead group and preinfusion chamber, but the new teflon valve got too squished so now I'm waiting for a new to arrive. The old has now been dug out, completely missed this as the instruction video I saw didn't replace this gasket.

Hopefully the new gasket will be thick enough for the valve not to protrude so long into the chamber, fingers crossed. Alternatively I'm gonna have to sand down the top of the valve a little bit.

OK, just to sum this up; after installing the provided teflon gasket between brewhear group and preinfusion chamber, the lever operation seems fine, though perhaps a bit to the tight side.