Back with a new project... La Pavoni Eurobar

#1: Post by **Buffy_ZA** » June 23rd, 2021, 5:00 am

I have been away from the lever scene a little while, I have come back with a bang!

I picked up a La Pavoni Eurobar recently which I am busy with..

I am currently looking for a new OPV, are there any recommendations?

#2: Post by **civ** » June 23rd, 2021, 6:12 am

Hello:

Buffy_ZA wrote: ... currently looking for a new OPV ...

Besides needing a cleanup ...
What's wrong with the old one?

Are all the parts there?
Has it been tested?

Best,

CIV

June 23rd, 2021, 6:33 am

civ wrote:Hello:

Besides needing a cleanup ...
What's wrong with the old one?

Are all the parts there?
Has it been tested?

Best,

CIV

Hello!

The machine works, gets hot etc..

I got new seals yesterday, all I need now is the opv.... looks to be missing the spring...

#4: Post by **MemPast** » June 23rd, 2021, 1:19 pm

There is a spiral pipe around the boiler. Did you add it?

June 23rd, 2021, 1:30 pm

Nope, it was on there.

it looks factory and seems to form a part of the plumbed in option.

#6: Post by **civ** » June 23rd, 2021, 4:44 pm

Hello:

Buffy_ZA wrote: The machine works, gets hot etc..

When you say "The machine works ...", exactly what do you mean?
You turn it on and get it to working pressure?

Please explain.

Buffy_ZA wrote: ... new seals yesterday, all I need now is the opv.... looks to be missing the spring...

According to F. Ceccarelli:

f_ceccarelli wrote: "Produced from 1978 to 1983, is it very rare."

See http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/lapav ... ar_eng.htm

I expect that parts for it are also rare.

I have never seen one except in photos.
There are quite a few posts regarding this model here at HB.
Check them out.

Here's one: La Pavoni Eurobar Leva restoration

Best,

CIV

#7: Post by **RobAnybody** » June 24th, 2021, 2:48 am

hi,
It could well be that the spring in the current europiccola/professional OPV also fits this one. Alternatives (besides replacing it with the europiccola/professional OPV) could be the safety valve used in the la pavoni bar sytems, (see here, bottom one on the page https://www.lamacchinadelcaffe.com/en/v ... avoni.html or here https://www.theespressoshop.co.uk/Mobil ... -4562.aspx
those are rated at 1.8bars. It will depend of course on the tread used in the connection.
Cheers,
Rob

#8: Post by **civ** » June 24th, 2021, 4:49 am

Hello:

Buffy_ZA wrote: ... currently looking for a new OPV ...

In this this post from 2017, it is referred to by HB member drgary as an overpressure valve.

drgary wrote: The small fitting this side of the boiler cap is the overpressure valve.

It is not only missing a spring but also whatever seals the valve.
A teflon/stainless stell ball of the right size?
Maybe it seals metal to metal?

No idea, never seen one of these.

Apparently there's also a pressurestat of some kind somewhere but unseen in the photos.

drgary wrote: Francesco's teardown of the second model shows that the pressure stat switch (PSTAT) was typically mounted below, under the heating element plate.
---
Here's a close-up of the overpressure valve ...

Here's a live link link to the mentioned teardown, the one in drgary's post is now dead.

Unfortunately, the valve was not part of the teardown.
Maybe drop him an email? http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/contatti_eng.htm

Could you post more phtotos so we can see what else makes up your Eurobar Leva?
ie: from behind and from below as well as the label indicating which model it is.

Best,

CIV

#9: Post by **Paul_Pratt** » June 24th, 2021, 6:58 am

Cute eurobar, I have one too which is sadly in storage otherwise I could check the safety valve. The safety valve IIRC was 1/4 bsp but you should measure the OD of the threads to double check. 1/4 bsp safety valves are fairly common so not too hard to source.

Plumbed in machines usually have a fill lever on the lower right hand side.

#10: Post by **drgary** » June 25th, 2021, 12:14 pm

civ wrote: Here's a live link link to the mentioned teardown, the one in drgary's post is now dead.

Thanks for spotting that. I went back and fixed the link.

FYI, on Francesco's site, he has pages that show successive models of levers, like the Eurobar. Wherever you see a link under the heading, "Description," he posts a teardown. I found the new link there.

Back to the overpressure valve, if you can't easily find a replacement, fixing what you have shouldn't be hard. All you would need is a stainless steel ball bearing that covers the vent hole in the center and a stainless spring. Tensioning is accomplished through turning the top down on the threads, so the spring doesn't need to be at an exact spec. It only needs to press the ball bearing against the hole.