My 1979 La Pavoni Europiccola Restoration/Rebuild
-
xdl
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 6 years ago
Greetings everyone! Though it's been quite a while now since I finished it, I thought I'd detail my La Pavoni Europiccola restoration project so that others can have a larger wealth of information to use when restoring their own. This project was my first foray into the great world of espresso machines, but certainly won't be my last -- indeed, I've also restored a Livia 90S that I'll be posting about in the not-too-distant future. I'll attempt to make this overview of my restoration both concise and accessible, but let me know if anything could do with clarification. Of course, I'm happy to answer any questions about my design choices, the restoration process, and the mistakes I made during this long (but rewarding) process.
First, for a bit of backstory: In 2017, I received a 1979 LaPavoni Europiccola as a Christmas gift from a friend. Unfortunately, having been disused for decades and close to 40 years old, the machine came with a slew of issues that needed to be addressed. Among these issues were those which are to be expected for a machine of this age, such as surface grime and rotted gaskets, to those resulting from improper use of the machine, like a broken boiler element and a bent steam wand port. I resolved to address all of these problems and give the machine a few light upgrades in the process.
The machine came with the following issues:
- Surface rust and grime
- Rotted and broken gaskets
- A swiveling base (A byproduct of the rotted gaskets)
- A broken boiler element (Caused by my running the machine without water the day after receiving it... An expensive lesson to learn, but not a mistake I'll ever repeat)
- Chipped paint on the machine's base
- A bent steam wand port (This seems to be a relatively common issue with the EPC)
- Internal dirt and grime (The machine had never been cleaned thoroughly before I received it)
I made the following modifications:
- Added a pressure gauge. This process is entirely reversible, as I kept the original sight glass hardware.
- Had the base powder coated in black, to match the knobs and handles. This is less easily reversible, but could be done with a color reference for the original brown.
- Added a boiler flange retrofit from Stefano's Espresso Care, since finding older style screw-on boilers proved problematic. I've retained the original flange, so this is reversible provided I can find a pre 1982 threaded boiler element or repair my existing one.
- Added a thermal switch underneath the new boiler element as a safety measure against overheating, as recommended in the second Orphan Espresso EPC restoration video linked below. This will cut power to the machine if the boiler element temperature gets above 200C, which the switch is rated for.
Research, Disassembly, and Initial Cleaning:
As anyone should, I began my restoration by researching the machine. The Home Barista forums, along with these two videos from Orphan Espresso ended up being my main resources during the restoration process. Also used were a handful of one-off search results from Google. The "site:home-barista.com" and boolean ("AND", "OR", "-") Google search flags allowed me to more quickly search for relevant threads on these forums (or any site), so I highly recommend using them.
During my initial research, I learned that I had a pre-millennium version of the EPC from before 1982. For my purposes, this meant that the machine came with an old style screw-on boiler element, had no thermal safety features, and used a pot metal flange to secure the base to the boiler.
In addition to learning about the type of machine I had, I verified that the boiler element had been broken due to my running the machine without water.
This ended up being the costliest part of the restoration, since I had to buy the tools to remove the old element, a boiler retrofit flange, a new boiler element, and (due to my own oversight) a 110->220v step up converter. Always remember to double-check that the voltage of your boiler element is the same as your country's line voltage, especially when buying from foreign sites!
The disassembly itself was fairly uneventful, with the exception of removing the boiler element. I started by removing the boiler cap and testing my citric acid cleaning solution on it, then proceeded by removing and disassembling the group.
For this I had to purchase a pair of ring clip pliers for removing the retaining rings inside the group, but had all of the other requisite wrenches already on hand in my toolbox. Having never been cleaned, the inside of the group was extremely dirty - especially the piston.
This was very satisfying to get clean, and was done with a citric acid solution, #0000 steel wool, cotton cloth, and elbow grease. Note, however, that elbow grease should NOT be used with the steel wool on chrome - light abrasion will do. Anything more, and you'll muddle or mar the chrome's surface.
When it came to disassembling the sight glass I thankfully had no major issues. For cleaning the glass, I used a small "straw brush" and some soapy water. Any and all metal fastening pieces were soaked in the mild citric acid solution for a bit, then polished using paper towels and #000 steel wool except for anything chrome plated, for which I used the aforementioned #0000 steel wool and very light abrasion.
I cleaned the black plastic parts of the machine with soapy water and gave them a nice shine with a drop of olive oil and a cotton cloth.
Removing the Boiler Element
As mentioned above, removing the boiler element was the most difficult part of this restoration. At first, I tried using a light hammer and a punch (as I did for the boiler flange), along with lubricants like Kano Kroil and WD-40. This did not work, and only served to mar the underside of the element. It worked well for removing the flange, though.
I eventually found success using:
- An oil filter removal tool from Harbor Freight
- Some CRC Freeze-Off (a lubricant)
- Two sheets of gasket rubber
- A vise
- Some spongy double sided tape
- A long metal pipe.
With these tools on hand I:
- Removed most of the hardware from the boiler
- Wrapped the two sheets of gasket rubber around the mostly bare boiler. This added grip between the vise and the boiler, while also protecting the chrome from the iron of the vise.
- Clamped the boiler in the vise, but not so tightly as to compress it and crack the chrome plating
- Wrapped some thick double sided sticky tape around each of the jaws of the oil filter tool. This added grip between the jaws and the boiler element.
- Sprayed the can of Freeze Off at and around the boiler element threading for the recommended 30 seconds.
- Used a cheater bar (the metal pipe) with the oil filter tool and a wrench to remove the element.
Although this process destroyed the oil filter removal tool and left the boiler smelling like lubricating oil, it was successful in removing the element. I cleaned the boiler with soap and water, and then gave it a soak in a mild citric acid solution. This got rid of the oil residue, and allowed me some time to get the base powder coated.
Powder Coating
For the base color, I decided to go with black to match the existing hardware on the machine. After removing all hardware from the base, I went to the powder coaters with the boiler lid and lever arm to get a good color match. Before leaving though, I took a picture of where the machine's information plate was, so that I could line it up accurately later.
The powder coating service that I used left a lot to be desired. They took three weeks to coat a simple part and wanted to charge $65 for it (I paid $45), all for a mediocre powder coating job that hasn't stood the test of time and that included detritus under the coat. During my Livia 90S restoration, I was able to get the machine's frame (a complex part, which required masking off a number of grounding standoffs) powder coated for $45 and a two-day wait. My advice to anyone shopping around for a powder coater is to heed negative reviews, and if possible, to find an Amish-run service to do the job.
Finishing Up
After powder coating, it was time to reassemble the machine. While waiting for the base I had reassembled the group, and made sure to have everything else on hand and ready for reassembly. I started by installing the base gaskets, base, and retrofit flange, making sure to tighten it as much as I could before proceeding. Evidently, I messed up at this point because the boiler has since started to pivot from the base. If I were to restore a machine like this again, I would install the retrofit flange with the boiler in a vise, using some variant of the La Pavoni tool. It really saves a lot of time and headache later on to get this step right from the beginning, so don't skimp on it!
Once the base was tightened to the boiler, I installed the remaining gaskets, reassembled whatever needed reassembly (the gauge, lever, pressure regulator, and steam valve come to mind), and did some rewiring. Note that when retrofitting the new pressure gauge, I used regular PTFE tape. If you do this (which I recommend), make sure that the tape does not protrude beyond where the threads will mate, or you may end up with bits of teflon floating in your sight gauge/tank. Also note that in the photo of the finished wiring job, my wiring is actually off - in that configuration, the "low" setting activated the "high" heating element, and vice-versa. This was very easily rectified by switching two wires around on the switch.
To complete the restoration, I cleaned the machine using strips of an old cotton t-shirt, water, and some Barkeeper's Friend. The cotton strips aided in getting between parts like the group and boiler, and allowed me to polish everything to a nice shine without fear of scratches. You may note that in one of the earlier photos of the group, the chrome is somewhat dulled; this was rectified during the cleaning process, though it came back after leaving a damp rag draped over the group. For regular maintenance of the machine, I used cloth towels inside the grouphead to remove grounds, and a sponge on/around the base. The steam wand tip required occasional removal for cleaning, so I would leave it on just a little more than finger-tight for whenever it needed to be removed. With this machine, I was able to pull shots and make cappuccinos for well over a year until I finished restoring the Livia 90S, which I now use as my primary machine. Perhaps I'll start using the La Pavoni again once the boiler element is replaced with the correct type, but for now I just don't have the counter space for both the espresso machine and a bulky transformer.
Mistakes and Warnings:
- The biggest costliest mistake I made during this restoration was running the machine without water. Never, ever do this. Modern machines can save you with their water level sensors and electronic protections, but the venerable EPC is much less forgiving.
- Make sure you're buying the correct boiler element for your country's voltage, and make sure it has the correct number of heating elements for your machine.
- Don't use a PVC cheater bar when removing the boiler element; it can shatter, so metal pipe or square stock is the way to go. DO use PVC pipe to adjust the steam wand port if it's bent, as recommended in the first of the Orphan Espresso videos above.
- When frothing or steaming milk, don't be afraid to crank the steam way up. It took me a while to figure this out, and I spent far too long thinking I was awful at milk frothing because of it. It also helps to shake the milk carton before frothing, and to use freshly opened milk. Note that some brands of milk are better at frothing than others. (Kirkland Whole Milk comes to mind as one of the ones I can almost never froth successfully. Maybe it has something to do with their homogenization process.)
- Don't leave a damp rag on top of your group. I used to see this in a lot of pictures, and did it myself until I realized it was dulling the chrome and creating a need for constant re-polishing.
- Consider making, renting, or buying the official La Pavoni flange removal tool when reassembling the machine. It's a real pain to go back and re-tighten the boiler flange, and you don't want your boiler to start swiveling one month into making espresso.
Afterthoughts
I hope this post was informative, and that it helps more people discover and repair these fascinating machines. I finished my restoration of this machine (whose original manufacture date read 7-79, as seen in some of the photos) in July of 2018. It seemed fitting that the machine's rebirth should coincide with its date of manufacture so many years and shots of espresso later. I know it's a shame to leave any Europiccola languishing on a shelf, so I recently ordered a new boiler element of the correct voltage to be able to start using it again. To that point, if anyone lives in a country with 220VAC and needs a lightly used, working boiler element for their restoration, I'll gladly send it for the cost of shipping (after my new one arrives).
My Europiccola, about two years after restoration:
First, for a bit of backstory: In 2017, I received a 1979 LaPavoni Europiccola as a Christmas gift from a friend. Unfortunately, having been disused for decades and close to 40 years old, the machine came with a slew of issues that needed to be addressed. Among these issues were those which are to be expected for a machine of this age, such as surface grime and rotted gaskets, to those resulting from improper use of the machine, like a broken boiler element and a bent steam wand port. I resolved to address all of these problems and give the machine a few light upgrades in the process.
The machine came with the following issues:
- Surface rust and grime
- Rotted and broken gaskets
- A swiveling base (A byproduct of the rotted gaskets)
- A broken boiler element (Caused by my running the machine without water the day after receiving it... An expensive lesson to learn, but not a mistake I'll ever repeat)
- Chipped paint on the machine's base
- A bent steam wand port (This seems to be a relatively common issue with the EPC)
- Internal dirt and grime (The machine had never been cleaned thoroughly before I received it)
I made the following modifications:
- Added a pressure gauge. This process is entirely reversible, as I kept the original sight glass hardware.
- Had the base powder coated in black, to match the knobs and handles. This is less easily reversible, but could be done with a color reference for the original brown.
- Added a boiler flange retrofit from Stefano's Espresso Care, since finding older style screw-on boilers proved problematic. I've retained the original flange, so this is reversible provided I can find a pre 1982 threaded boiler element or repair my existing one.
- Added a thermal switch underneath the new boiler element as a safety measure against overheating, as recommended in the second Orphan Espresso EPC restoration video linked below. This will cut power to the machine if the boiler element temperature gets above 200C, which the switch is rated for.
Research, Disassembly, and Initial Cleaning:
As anyone should, I began my restoration by researching the machine. The Home Barista forums, along with these two videos from Orphan Espresso ended up being my main resources during the restoration process. Also used were a handful of one-off search results from Google. The "site:home-barista.com" and boolean ("AND", "OR", "-") Google search flags allowed me to more quickly search for relevant threads on these forums (or any site), so I highly recommend using them.
During my initial research, I learned that I had a pre-millennium version of the EPC from before 1982. For my purposes, this meant that the machine came with an old style screw-on boiler element, had no thermal safety features, and used a pot metal flange to secure the base to the boiler.
In addition to learning about the type of machine I had, I verified that the boiler element had been broken due to my running the machine without water.
This ended up being the costliest part of the restoration, since I had to buy the tools to remove the old element, a boiler retrofit flange, a new boiler element, and (due to my own oversight) a 110->220v step up converter. Always remember to double-check that the voltage of your boiler element is the same as your country's line voltage, especially when buying from foreign sites!
The disassembly itself was fairly uneventful, with the exception of removing the boiler element. I started by removing the boiler cap and testing my citric acid cleaning solution on it, then proceeded by removing and disassembling the group.
For this I had to purchase a pair of ring clip pliers for removing the retaining rings inside the group, but had all of the other requisite wrenches already on hand in my toolbox. Having never been cleaned, the inside of the group was extremely dirty - especially the piston.
This was very satisfying to get clean, and was done with a citric acid solution, #0000 steel wool, cotton cloth, and elbow grease. Note, however, that elbow grease should NOT be used with the steel wool on chrome - light abrasion will do. Anything more, and you'll muddle or mar the chrome's surface.
When it came to disassembling the sight glass I thankfully had no major issues. For cleaning the glass, I used a small "straw brush" and some soapy water. Any and all metal fastening pieces were soaked in the mild citric acid solution for a bit, then polished using paper towels and #000 steel wool except for anything chrome plated, for which I used the aforementioned #0000 steel wool and very light abrasion.
I cleaned the black plastic parts of the machine with soapy water and gave them a nice shine with a drop of olive oil and a cotton cloth.
Removing the Boiler Element
As mentioned above, removing the boiler element was the most difficult part of this restoration. At first, I tried using a light hammer and a punch (as I did for the boiler flange), along with lubricants like Kano Kroil and WD-40. This did not work, and only served to mar the underside of the element. It worked well for removing the flange, though.
I eventually found success using:
- An oil filter removal tool from Harbor Freight
- Some CRC Freeze-Off (a lubricant)
- Two sheets of gasket rubber
- A vise
- Some spongy double sided tape
- A long metal pipe.
With these tools on hand I:
- Removed most of the hardware from the boiler
- Wrapped the two sheets of gasket rubber around the mostly bare boiler. This added grip between the vise and the boiler, while also protecting the chrome from the iron of the vise.
- Clamped the boiler in the vise, but not so tightly as to compress it and crack the chrome plating
- Wrapped some thick double sided sticky tape around each of the jaws of the oil filter tool. This added grip between the jaws and the boiler element.
- Sprayed the can of Freeze Off at and around the boiler element threading for the recommended 30 seconds.
- Used a cheater bar (the metal pipe) with the oil filter tool and a wrench to remove the element.
Although this process destroyed the oil filter removal tool and left the boiler smelling like lubricating oil, it was successful in removing the element. I cleaned the boiler with soap and water, and then gave it a soak in a mild citric acid solution. This got rid of the oil residue, and allowed me some time to get the base powder coated.
Powder Coating
For the base color, I decided to go with black to match the existing hardware on the machine. After removing all hardware from the base, I went to the powder coaters with the boiler lid and lever arm to get a good color match. Before leaving though, I took a picture of where the machine's information plate was, so that I could line it up accurately later.
The powder coating service that I used left a lot to be desired. They took three weeks to coat a simple part and wanted to charge $65 for it (I paid $45), all for a mediocre powder coating job that hasn't stood the test of time and that included detritus under the coat. During my Livia 90S restoration, I was able to get the machine's frame (a complex part, which required masking off a number of grounding standoffs) powder coated for $45 and a two-day wait. My advice to anyone shopping around for a powder coater is to heed negative reviews, and if possible, to find an Amish-run service to do the job.
Finishing Up
After powder coating, it was time to reassemble the machine. While waiting for the base I had reassembled the group, and made sure to have everything else on hand and ready for reassembly. I started by installing the base gaskets, base, and retrofit flange, making sure to tighten it as much as I could before proceeding. Evidently, I messed up at this point because the boiler has since started to pivot from the base. If I were to restore a machine like this again, I would install the retrofit flange with the boiler in a vise, using some variant of the La Pavoni tool. It really saves a lot of time and headache later on to get this step right from the beginning, so don't skimp on it!
Once the base was tightened to the boiler, I installed the remaining gaskets, reassembled whatever needed reassembly (the gauge, lever, pressure regulator, and steam valve come to mind), and did some rewiring. Note that when retrofitting the new pressure gauge, I used regular PTFE tape. If you do this (which I recommend), make sure that the tape does not protrude beyond where the threads will mate, or you may end up with bits of teflon floating in your sight gauge/tank. Also note that in the photo of the finished wiring job, my wiring is actually off - in that configuration, the "low" setting activated the "high" heating element, and vice-versa. This was very easily rectified by switching two wires around on the switch.
To complete the restoration, I cleaned the machine using strips of an old cotton t-shirt, water, and some Barkeeper's Friend. The cotton strips aided in getting between parts like the group and boiler, and allowed me to polish everything to a nice shine without fear of scratches. You may note that in one of the earlier photos of the group, the chrome is somewhat dulled; this was rectified during the cleaning process, though it came back after leaving a damp rag draped over the group. For regular maintenance of the machine, I used cloth towels inside the grouphead to remove grounds, and a sponge on/around the base. The steam wand tip required occasional removal for cleaning, so I would leave it on just a little more than finger-tight for whenever it needed to be removed. With this machine, I was able to pull shots and make cappuccinos for well over a year until I finished restoring the Livia 90S, which I now use as my primary machine. Perhaps I'll start using the La Pavoni again once the boiler element is replaced with the correct type, but for now I just don't have the counter space for both the espresso machine and a bulky transformer.
Mistakes and Warnings:
- The biggest costliest mistake I made during this restoration was running the machine without water. Never, ever do this. Modern machines can save you with their water level sensors and electronic protections, but the venerable EPC is much less forgiving.
- Make sure you're buying the correct boiler element for your country's voltage, and make sure it has the correct number of heating elements for your machine.
- Don't use a PVC cheater bar when removing the boiler element; it can shatter, so metal pipe or square stock is the way to go. DO use PVC pipe to adjust the steam wand port if it's bent, as recommended in the first of the Orphan Espresso videos above.
- When frothing or steaming milk, don't be afraid to crank the steam way up. It took me a while to figure this out, and I spent far too long thinking I was awful at milk frothing because of it. It also helps to shake the milk carton before frothing, and to use freshly opened milk. Note that some brands of milk are better at frothing than others. (Kirkland Whole Milk comes to mind as one of the ones I can almost never froth successfully. Maybe it has something to do with their homogenization process.)
- Don't leave a damp rag on top of your group. I used to see this in a lot of pictures, and did it myself until I realized it was dulling the chrome and creating a need for constant re-polishing.
- Consider making, renting, or buying the official La Pavoni flange removal tool when reassembling the machine. It's a real pain to go back and re-tighten the boiler flange, and you don't want your boiler to start swiveling one month into making espresso.
Afterthoughts
I hope this post was informative, and that it helps more people discover and repair these fascinating machines. I finished my restoration of this machine (whose original manufacture date read 7-79, as seen in some of the photos) in July of 2018. It seemed fitting that the machine's rebirth should coincide with its date of manufacture so many years and shots of espresso later. I know it's a shame to leave any Europiccola languishing on a shelf, so I recently ordered a new boiler element of the correct voltage to be able to start using it again. To that point, if anyone lives in a country with 220VAC and needs a lightly used, working boiler element for their restoration, I'll gladly send it for the cost of shipping (after my new one arrives).
My Europiccola, about two years after restoration:
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guijan12
- Posts: 588
- Joined: 6 years ago
Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing the story and pictures of a nice restoration. 
Regards,
Guido
Guido
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BFio
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 4 years ago
Thank you for the detailed write up with pictures!
Where did you source the pressure kit from?
Where did you source the pressure kit from?
-
jwCrema
- Supporter ❤
- Posts: 1098
- Joined: 11 years ago
Nice work! I'm curious as to why you needed a 110->220v step up converter?
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xdl (original poster)
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 6 years ago
Thank you!guijan12 wrote:Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing the story and pictures of a nice restoration.
Glad to contribute back after learning so much here. I got the pressure gauge and adapter from Stefano's Espresso Care, and the gasket kit on eBay. The teflon tape was just something I had lying around.BFio wrote:Thank you for the detailed write up with pictures!
Where did you source the pressure kit from?
Thanks! I purchased the cheapest boiler element I could find but didn't think about the fact that I was using a British site while doing so. When it arrived, I realized the element's required line voltage was too high (220 instead of 110) but didn't want to deal with the return process and just used this transformer instead.jwCrema wrote:Nice work! I'm curious as to why you needed a 110->220v step up converter?
