Completed my planned weekend project, after seeing Alf's dry seals, and reading about gunk on the top of shower screens, I wanted to give my lever group a once over and also cure a small "jump" issue my lever has developed right at the time the lever is almost completely returned to the top position. Here goes:

Strega!



Break it on down


You have to carefully pull out the conduit that houses the pump micro-switch wiring, or the lever assembly cannot be lifted out.


Notice the metal conduit is slipped out forwards, and the wiring pulled out from inside the case a little to give some slack. You have to take the top off the Strega to get to the wiring. (I did not photograph that step)


Yep, the lubricant is sticky, clumpy, and not evenly distributed. I cleaned it all off with a bamboo fiber towel, and it was brown and sludge like in places. I also wiped the old lubricant off the inside of the cylinder.



Hmmm...What is that living on top of the shower screen? Chunks of coffee? NOPE, chunks of black grease.



Everybody in to the JoeGlo for a bath!


Clean Cylinder!


Clean and nicely lubed gaskets, used a couple grams of DOW 111, also put a thin layer on inside of cylinder wall. Lever action is smooth as silk now, and no jumps!


Strega, back in action! After I put it all back together my portafilter now locks in easier and at exactly six o' clock, it locked at seven before. Not sure why, but I will take it!


One note, there is a black rubber gasket that is around the metal conduit that houses the micro-switch wires coming out from the case to the group. Do not pull or tug on that gasket, the conduit will slide out through it, and tugging it just tears it.