I have just received my Cremina SL and want to do my own maintenance. I'm new to lever machines but have good mechanical skills. I can't find any information regarding the removal of the shower screen on the Web and need some advice so as not to cause any damage. It looks to me as though the group gasket is the last item to be installed in the group. Am I correct in this? If so then that gasket should come out first - maybe with a sharp gasket pick - and then the screen should be fairly easy to remove.

The reason for the removal of the shower screen is that I want to be able to maintain the piston seals. I have the new SL piston tool but it also has posed some issues in that it cannot be installed without the removal of the screen and group gasket - it is too thick.

Any help appreciated.....

TIA

Victor B.

I'm not familiar with newer Creminas. Old Creminas have a snap on shower screen. Find a lip and carefully leverage it off with a flat head screw driver. Same with getting the portafilter gasket out.

Easier way (edited to say this works with a springless Cremina not an SL spring Cremina) could be to go in from the back. Take off the snap ring, push out the rod holding the lever on, pull off the lever, unscrew the limit nut at the top of the piston rod and push the rod down. You should be able to pop the showerscreen off if it's not a snap on. Mine is a snap on and I've found it easier to snap it off with a protected flathead screwdriver than push it off with the rod and piston.

If you get everything apart check the lube. Don't know what Olympia uses but Strega uses something gooey and pudding like that looks more suited to veterinary use which they generously apply. A good clean and a nice even coat of Dow111 is so much better.

It has been pointed out to me that the SL has a spring. Poking out the showerscreen with the piston works for a springless but not a spring. Sorry for the bad advice.

This is a well documented problem with the SL......well, I mentioned it in a post a year or so ago........ In my experience, the only way to remove the shower screen means destroying and replacing the group gasket. I've never been able to remove it with picks and chopsticks without tearing the gasket. My advice is to use a puck screen to keep the shower screen clean and service the group when the group gasket needs replacing. Cerini and Olympia both told me that the group should not need servicing for two years.

I have also posted previously about this particular problem. I have the opinion that the Olympia SL requires servicing each year of use. The spring seems to have a tendency of corrosion. And there has been a need to clean and lubricate the piston.
In the beginning the SL owners had difficulty releasing the spring and piston in a smooth manner.
The use of over the counter clamps was needed and sometimes weren't very useful. There is now a special device sold by Cerini that assists in the removal of the piston and servicing of the brew head.
And hopefully, no need to send the brew head for service.

Very much appreciate the posts. I have the tool that Cerini sells but it cannot be used without removing the group seal and shower screen. I am convinced that the group seal must be removed first and then the shower screen can be removed. After that there will be enough room to attach the piston tool. Even though my machine is new I want to go through the group removal to become familiar with the process.

Thanks for all the posts....

Victor B.

You can disassemble the group without removing the shower screen and gasket first if you use a six inch c-clamp to do it. However, if the shower screen is not properly seated, you will bend it. In my case, it wasn't and the shower screen was raised off the piston end such that the pressure applied by the C Clamp bent it into a concave shape! I also tore the middle seal when reinstalling the piston. I documented all of this in a post here on HB. Redpig here on HB had none of my problems and did an amazing job using a c-clamp. I will likely pic up the tool from Cerini. Interested in the corroding spring issue - is this common across the board?

I read that post!! I don't think I'm going to try the C clamp although it is one of the solutions. The SL Piston tool does absolutely require the removal of the group seal and shower screen or it won't fit into the portafilter grooves as there isn't enough room. The wings on the tool are thicker than the portafilter and consequently the group seal gets in the way. It may possibly turn out that 'ONLY' the group seal has to come out but I won't know until I try all of this out. I'm waiting for parts for my GS3 and once that's up and running I may attempt the piston removal. I have all of the parts so it's just a matter of doing it.

Victor B.

You can remove the shower screen by using the piston itself to free the shower screen and once it moves downward a bit you use a plastic lever (like a bike tire lever) to pry it out the rest of the way. Here's how to do it... First, remove the acorn nut from the top of the piston shaft. Then push down and hold down the lever slightly to take pressure off of the remaining nut at the top of the piston shaft. While holding the lever down, unscrew the nut until it's almost off of the threads. Once this is done, slowly release the lever and the piston will press the shower screen part way out before the pin contacts the grouphead and stops the piston from moving farther. At this point it should be pretty easy to use a plastic bike tire lever or something else to pry the shower screen off the rest of the way. After the screen is off you can attach the cremina piston tool, tighten the knob and remove the nut on the piston shaft and the lever pin closest to the boiler fill knob. Then unscrew the knob on the piston tool until the the piston is free.

Great.... but did you remove the group seal first or does your method remove or allow the easily removal of the group seal? AISI that is paramount to the removal of the shower screen.

Really appreciate the post as I have not done this b4. I'm a quick learner and have thought about allowing the spring pressure to push against the shower screen but don't have any experience. Your method requires (aisi) that the group head remains on the main body which is fine as it could be the first step of removal of the shower screen and the group head could be removed subsequent to this.

Great post.....

Thanks.....

I have all of my stuff and am going to try this in the next couple of days.

Victor B.