So, i guess everyone knows the Achille is like an Alfa Romeo right? Italian made, really stylish and good looking and delivering an amazing experience.....................when it isn't being repaired or having issues with leaks and water in the electrics. Yep, just like an Alfa!

Anyway, I thought i'd better come back and let you guys know how the repairs went.

I ended up buying some FDA approved silicone o-rings online- lots of places have them. I bought size #134 as recommended by "4d4m" to replace the standard o-ring number 16. I also bought a pack of size #11 silicone o-rings to replace the ones on the end of the heat exchanger pipes (part number 95 in the achille diagram) where I think the main leaks are occurring for these machines (see my post above).

Anyway, they both fit perfectly so if anyone needs to get non-gaggia o-rings, you need #134 and #11! If you are in Australia, let me know and i can chuck a couple in the post. Here are some comparison pictures:

First the #134 compared to the standard number 16 o-ring.


and the #11


The originals are a bit flattened and that is probably why they have leaked. The replacement ones are slightly fatter and seal much much better!

The comparison is shown here:
These are the original ones- as you can see they don't really extend above the surface of the tube and so don't really seal very well!


These are the replacements, and you can see they extend above the tube, providing a much better seal.

So what was the final outcome of replacing the o-rings? Well, there was no leakage even when i put a backflush disk in and put a large amount of pressure on the lever. I ran quite a few cups through without the boiler covers on and there was not a single drop that came through the designed overflow.

Here is the bone dry area that is meant to catch and evaporate away leaks. Not a leak!


So, based on the o-ring repairs and the fact that there has been no leakages even under high pressure, I am taking "Isjms" advice and not adding my planned additional overflow.

My Achille lives!

Hi minch

Thanx for a very informative post on your Achille fix.
Apparently I have the same problem... too bad...but after reading your post I feel that the chances of fixing my Achille have increased.

As all the different sizes of o-rings are fairly cheap I would really appreciate a UK (?) link to where you bought them online. I'm thinking of the ones called #134 and #11. This hopefully increases my chance of finding the exactly right o-ring.

Thanks in advance!

/Peter

Hi Peter,

Sorry for the delayed response, only come on here every so often. I live in Australia but I bought my orings from jetgasketandseal.com via their US Ebay store (they shipped it to me in Australia).

The link to the #134 is: http://cgi.ebay.com/FDA-SILICONE-ORINGS ... 2ea7a5cc43

The link to the #11 is: http://cgi.ebay.com/FDA-SILICONE-O-RING ... 2ea7a5b178

Send me a pm with your address and I can probably post a few to you (as you can see, you get 100 of the #11's and 20 of the #134's so I have some spares). if not, good luck with the repair!

cheers
matt

Hi Minch

Thanx a lot for your reply - I've send your a PM

Regards,
Peter

I too have a Gaggia Achille lever. I really love this machine. I think it really looks nice. Well, I think I do. It is fading in memory now as it has been in the repair shop for 5 weeks for.... wait for it... LEAKS. It was the Fourth one that I had in Three Weeks. I kept taking them back for various failures and leaks. This last one worked for a whole two weeks before I took it in for service. They don't have any more new ones at the store. (Power Buy, Central Chitlom Shopping mall, Bangkok)

What is worst is that I bought a machine just to wait for the Achille as they told me that it would be a long long time. I bought a Gaggia Baby Twin. I which is the better machine. The Baby has worked for Three weeks (I understand I am closing fast on half life here) but it does work with no leaks except from the Steam wand that is half and half steam and water. Before the Baby, I bought a little Mini Mex (probably a local Thai product) just to make an occasional drink when I am too lazy to go out. It lasted 12 days.

So yes the line between repair and upgrade is a hairline crack. I ordered a Rocket R58 (and a Ceado E37) which will be here in 5 weeks they tell me.

If my beloved Gaggia Achille ever comes back. I will order a piston assembly from Orphan (I have experience) and will proudly mount my Gaggia Achille on some shelf in the house maybe with some decorative back lighting so I can enjoy the machine for the reason that I purchased it.

danno wrote:

I have an Achille...plagued by the normal leaks (o-rings where plastic meets metal, o-rings on check valves, steam wand valve, silicone o-ring on the boiler chamber cap, cracked piston chamber). I could not find parts anywhere in the US or Canada when I was there...so I gave Gaggia UK a call. 1/2 an hour later and €100 poorer all those parts (and a few more) are in the mail.

-peter