Hi,
I have been a long time lurker here on Home Barista - from Dublin, Ireland - and much appreciate all the helpful information that has informed my buying decisions and the development of my, still limited, skills.

I have been using my Pharos 1.1 for the last couple of years with no issues. However, this morning it was noticeably tighter when turning the handle, and the burrs appeared to be "scraping" against each other. This was initially at one or two points but It quickly deteriorated and eventually jammed tight. I removed the lower plate and found that the burr shaft is jammed tight in the lower brass bushing. The shaft should be readily removable as it just slots in and rotates on its axis there.

I tried to dislodge it using a wrench without success - I didn't want to use too much force in case I damaged the bushing. I also tried to gently hammer the burr shaft out from the bushing, but my room for manoeuvre is limited as the grounds collection bin is still attached as the bushing holds it in place. I came across an old thread here where the issue was some coffee grounds or instant rice getting caught between the bushing and the burr shaft. I don't know if my issue is also due to coffee grounds (I have never used instant rice) - it seems too tight for that to be the case. Any suggestions please as to how I could remove the burr?

Needless to say, this is happening at the worst possible time as my Cafelat Barista Robot is due to arrive tomorrow. Looks like it could be time for Plan B if I don't get this fixed soon - the Virtuoso!

Thanks,
Michael

Michael, ouch. Sounds like it may have seized....
if it were a 'soft' problem with grounds or coffee getting in the way it probably would still turn with a bit more force. If you cannot turn it then it sounds like metal to metal contact that has sort of spot welded. Brass is supposed to be self lubricating, but it isn't, really. You do have to add a drop of a good heavy lubricant from time to time, so you should consider a monthly cleaning routine where you oil it after disassembly/cleaning. I use something like FP10 or Break free in mine. Oil from underneath with the grinder upside down. 1 drop is all you need, capillary action will wick it around.

you need to take it apart to isolate the frozen parts. Try judicious use of heat to the outside of the bearing, trying to keep the shaft cool; maybe a helper with some ice on it. this might free it up enough to move it and is also why you need to take everything apart, to get access to the shaft. Also the burrs are sloped and you need to press the shaft UP and that will ruin the burrs so you have to get them off. apply penetrating lubricant to it a couple days before, like Kroil but you have to clean it off completely after. Use wood or hard plastic on the bottom of shaft and tap it upwards to see if it moves. Best case is, it comes free. Worst case, it doesn't and you have to destroy the bearing to get it off. The bearing is softer than the shaft so you can just replace the bearing after reconditioning the shaft, if that happens. good luck. oh... I assumed the bottom bearing was stuck, but there is also a top bearing you have to look at that one is a bugger to lubricate, I would drop oil from the side to try to hit it just right. but I don't use it that often, so for me it was a 6 month routine.

Hi Walt,
Apologies for the delay in responding, and thanks for your assistance. I managed to fix the problem before you posted but didn't have the time to post an update.

Just to confirm, the problem was only at the lower bushing, so I was able to partially dismantle the Pharos - I was left with an assembly comprising the axle with inner burr attached plus lower grounds chamber held in place by the jammed lower bushing.

I left the lower part of the assembly standing upright in warm water overnight to see if that might loosen it, but it was still locked tight. Then, I decided rather than try and hammer the axle out from the bottom as previously, that I would hammer it further in to see if that might loosen it (if you stood the assembly with the bushing on the ground, the axle was lodged a millimetre (or two) above ground level) - I successfully drove the axle in so it was flush with the base of the bushing. I then tried to twist off the bushing with a wrench - this time it worked, although it did require some effort. I don't know if the pre-soaking helped. The inside of the bushing was coated in a very thin black film of what I think was coffee oil, with a small amount also on the axle. I cleaned it off and reassembled the Pharos and it is back working as normal.

After fixing the problem I came across an old thread with additional solutions that may be of use to others that find themselves in the same situation:
Orphan Espresso Pharos V2 binding badly... help

Michael