Profitec Pro 300 slow shots after group gasket replacement

#1: Post by **dannyboy2233** » March 18th, 2023, 11:17 am

Hello espresso hive mind!

I recently replaced the group gasket on my Profitec Pro 300, about 1.5 years after I purchased it secondhand. I don't use the machine every day so the old gasket was in decent condition and the replacement seemed to go fine (I followed Clive Coffee's guide here). I unscrewed and removed the shower screen, removed the old group gasket, inserted the new group gasket flat side down, used my fingers to seat it into the groove, screwed the shower screen back on, and used my portafilter to fully seat the gasket by twisting the ears into place. Once the group gasket was fully seated, I tightened the shower screen a little further and thought I was good to go.

However, all my shots since the gasket replacement have been painstakingly slow! Espresso is taking 15 or 20 seconds to begin appearing and my final shot times are ~16g in/20g out in 70 seconds. I'm using the same range of grind sizes I always use for espresso but I've never had shots take this long to pull. If I turn on the machine without a portafilter inserted I see what looks like a normal flow of water coming from the shower screen, so I don't think that's the issue. It could just be that this particular batch of beans requires an abnormally coarse grind size, but that seems unlikely. Any idea what else might be going on?

#2: Post by **cmin** » March 18th, 2023, 11:59 am

Likely a dying pump. 16/20 in 70 seconds is insanely slow even on an profiling capable machine. You could obviously dial coarser but I'm betting on a dying ulka, cheap on Amazon, like 25 bucks or so to replace. Personally I hated my 300 I had few years ago lol, but I replaced pump on it 3x in 2 years, meanwhile I've had vibe machines that lasted 6-7 years on original pump. But that 300 was plagued with other issues so wtf knows what was wrong with it lol (retailer couldn't figure out either nor could I replacing stuff including new group, solenoids, valves, pumps, lines).

This should be it:
ULKA Model E Type EX5 - Solenoid Vibratory Water Pump with with Two Seal OR 2025 - 1/1 min ON/OFF, 120V 60Hz 41W, Brass Shaft - Wide Compatibility With Espresso Machines https://a.co/d/f0vz3WQ

March 18th, 2023, 1:27 pm

Hmm... dying pump is certainly possible, but it seems highly coincidental that the pump would start dying right when I switch the gasket. For reference, the machine has been pulling consistent shots for the past year and a half, and the last shot I pulled (about a month before the gasket swap) was perfect. I hadn't turned the machine on since then except to test the new gasket, so I don't think anything could've burned out in between.

#4: Post by **JRising** » March 18th, 2023, 1:59 pm

Take the screw that holds the showerface fikter in place out... See what kind of flow comes through without that screw in the hole. If it's good without that hole blocked, then the issue is right there in the dispersion or the showerface or something. (Or the screw is in too deep)

(Making this assumption because it occurred with your gasket replacement)

#5: Post by **cmin** » March 18th, 2023, 5:02 pm

Check the dispersion plate and screen like John said, I honestly can't remember if it has to be put on in a certain way (some machines are finicky depending on where the jet(s) hole is. I could swear the 300 had to be put on a certain way or it would block and cause the flow to go screwy, but it's been a few years so may be wrong and thinking of different machine.

Could be too tight as well like mentioned. Can't think of anything else, either has to be pump or dispersion/screen.