La Pavoni age

#1: Post by **aabra1** » August 27th, 2016, 11:51 pm

i own epc-8 millenium model, that i love but i think it is a bit small for me and i wanted a pro with themanometer.
Just got a 16cup pre-millenium pro model needs a little bit of work, but overal in a decent shape

can someone help me to figure out when it was made. there are no dates anywhere I could see.
definitely pre-millenium (no plastic in the group),
non-detachable steamer(has weird plastic cone on the end of it)
sight glass has a metal sleeve around it
heating element has something like 9/83 on it, I am wondering if that was a mm/yy when it was made.

#2: Post by **homeburrero** » August 28th, 2016, 12:21 am

Yes, '83 or '84

Element stamp is always good when you have it, and also have the original element. To date these machines, go to Francesco Ceccarelli's excellent site here: http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/lapavoni_pr_eng.htm

Yours has the plastic sub-base that came in around 1984, but has the older ('83 and earlier) element without the protective thermofuse.

The plastic cone on the steam wand is an oddity. Most likely added by a previous owner for some reason.

#3: Post by **CoffeeBar** » August 28th, 2016, 12:33 am

80's

#4: Post by **rpavlis** » August 28th, 2016, 9:40 am

The cap was made before the shift to the all plastic one, which points to its being form the early 1980s. Another possible clue could be the portafilter. Is the threaded rod attaching it to handle M10 or M12? The sub base is fairly early too.

#5: Post by **grog** » August 28th, 2016, 11:36 am

Did you re-wire it after taking the photos with the base off? There are no wires to the terminals on the element and that sooty black residue at the front makes me think there was some 'event' with the element overheating.

But then there is a photo with the red power light on.

August 28th, 2016, 1:24 pm

rpavlis wrote:The cap was made before the shift to the all plastic one, which points to its being form the early 1980s. Another possible clue could be the portafilter. Is the threaded rod attaching it to handle M10 or M12? The sub base is fairly early too.

portafilter is missing. I am in the market for portafilter. Any sugestions which one to get(standard, bottomless, etc)

#7: Post by **forbeskm** » August 28th, 2016, 1:36 pm

Cafelat has the cheapest bottomless, can also make it a regular as well.

Stefano's espresso care drills out a stock one, does a fine job, he aslo sells the it non bottomless.

August 28th, 2016, 2:38 pm

grog wrote:Did you re-wire it after taking the photos with the base off? There are no wires to the terminals on the element and that sooty black residue at the front makes me think there was some 'event' with the element overheating.

But then there is a photo with the red power light on.

good catch.
it was in working condition. glass seals are dry. It was rusted underneath the base, I removed all wires and treated the rust. It turns rust black.
here is the picture before I did all that.

#9: Post by **drgary** » August 28th, 2016, 3:35 pm

You'll want to paint the rust with POR-15 because as it is it will continue oxidizing. Also there is scale where the pressurestat tube enters the base, which tells me there is a steam leak there that needs to be addressed. That may be the source of moisture causing rust under the base.

August 28th, 2016, 4:09 pm

glass assembly had black rubber seals that dried. it did not have metal washers like on the picture. seals were compressed by the compression nuts w-o washer in between.
Was it designed like that or someone lost washer over the years? could that be a different design in 80s w-o washers?

that is all it was there, no washers:

there was a small copper piece sitting between manometer and the sight glass like on the picture bellow.
Is it part of the assembly to push down the glass away from manometer thread?