Another caravel restore but this time a VAM, first version. I had a really buggered one on my shelf without portafilter or drip tray and paint completely gone, and when i found a cheap(ish) one with all the parts, I got the old chassis powdercoated orange, made ebony handles, refinished the light cover, polished the stainless bits, and re-assembled. Very nice. : )
I do have an issue with overheating that I would love some input on....
But first, some pics....









LOVE that VAM badge on the side - gently sanded it and repainted the red background. : )

Now the issue with overheating. After getting a slight leak at the piston sorted out (using the old seals over the slightly smaller OE seals), I have not really sussed the thermostat on this old model. But that will come with time. HOWEVER, even just heating up, without letting it stand boiling, the whole chassis gets too hot to hold it down while pulling a shot (my left hand usually rests at the bottom of the machine to stabilise it....) I looked at the elements, and I have two old VAMs (one missing most parts), and a caravel. They both have smaller elements than the VAM I have restored. Does anyone know if this larger element in the orange machine is original for a first model VAM? I can replace it with one of the others, but just wanted to ask first....




Again, the issue is that the whole chassis heats up immediately, as soon as it is boiling the whole body is too hot to touch. I am not yet concerned about the thermostat, but hope to work that out soon....

Any thoughts???

That machine looks fantastic- well done!

Concerning the overheating issue: my guess is that you are not getting a good direct contact between the element and the boiler base. The caravel machines are designed so that the boiler become a heatsink for the element. When there is good contact and water inside the heat is drawn into the boiler constantly. If you put a caravel on without the boiler in place you will see the element rapidly heat to red hot. When it is functioning correctly- in use- the element does not become red hot as the heat is constantly drawn away by the boiler. When the contact is not good the entire machine body rapidly heats up- as yours is.

The element is pushed up against the boiler by the springs built into the tray part that houses the element. The springs are located under those two front corners of the tray. You should be able to push on those corners and the tray will move up and down- rocking on the springs. Perhaps you need to fiddle and adjust everything- and maybe even replace those springs? You really need to sort that issue out as I think the element will probably burn out quickly otherwise. As you will have noticed the Vam has a different element to the the later Caravels- might be harder to replace.

A final though: there isn't any chance you are running a 120 volt unit on a 240 volt line?

Yes Albert the larger element is the original for the Vam. And Jack is on the money, the springs pushing the element up against the base of the boiler are quite heavy making a very hard push to create the right contact for the heatsink principle to work.

thanks sorentinacoffee and seacoffee.

while i was waiting for your (speedy!) replies, i installed the other element that was in my other VAM body - I have two as in the pics - one with a smaller element and one with the larger i was using. the smaller element works great - does not overheat the whole body.
and then i made a tasty coffee. : )
what you both say makes sense to me. it is great to learn new things about how these deceptively simple machines work.

i noticed between the two old VAM bodies that one holds the element front edge in with two screws over springs, the other with a simple nipple and springs that fits into the front holes of the element surround.






also, the lip of the surround of the larger element is higher than that of the smaller element, reducing the contact slightly.... this may be due to age or deterioration, but at the left the element is sunk a little below the surround (first picture, at left), which would not be good, form how you say they work....






for the moment i will still use the smaller element, as it is working properly. there was no way to "adjust" the seating of the element with the nipple variety of fixture, unlike the screw variety. it makes me wonder how many small variations were made of these machines, or, perhaps, how many have been fiddled with (like i am doing), before i get to them and think they are original. : ) in this respect i feel guilty to paint it orange, but this was a VAM without portafilter, drip tray, and crappy paint. i feel ok about this....

in fact, i LOVE it. orange rocks!

thankyou both for your experience with this - good to get outside opinions and learn!

ps - its easy enough to swap over the element fixing screw and spring - just noting the differences and wondering if they are original, or later fiddlings-with....

Albert, I have a number of models, Vams and Caravels. You are right there were loys of variations even for the same model as I think older parts were never discarded but used up in newer models. True environmentalism. The Vam I have home with me now is similar to your orange machine with the spring adjustment and it is adjusted as below.

There is still adjustment with what you call the nipple part. Try unscrewing the spherical nut on the side which is down.

Couple of things. The element should sit a little proud of edge of the shield. If the shield touches the boiler then it too will heat up and then transfer heat to the body. So try to adjust it so the element touches evenly but the shield does not touch at all. If the shield touches the boiler it may prevent the element touching.

Just had a closer look at the Vam. Same model as yours. Certainly the round spherical nuts below adjust the height of the front of the tray and can adjust each side so the element (if properly seated) touched the left and right side evenly. Now, the position of the element in relation to the shield does not have any adjustment. The element's position is determined by the V stand seated on the tray. The V is designed to sit one way (small bevel on the ends and at the apex of the V) but it can be turned upside down making the element sit a bit higher.

So take a closer look. Maybe different parts have been used and so the proper positioning is not there.

seacoffee - thanks for the reply.
indeed the ball at the bottom can be used to adjust the nipple version - sorry - i was stupid to not get that....
the larger element sits on a vee of metal in the shield, as you say, and to get it out is a little manual, but it needs to come apart, all of it, for then i can check the levelness of the element top and reposition if all is ok. yes - thanks. i had just assumed it had deteriorated and sunk, but like you say, the positioning of that metal vee may solve it all.... : )
now that i look closely at the larger element, the problem was, as you mention, the shield touching the boiler rather than the element touching the boiler.
lucky i had that other element though, otherwise i might be suffering caffeine withdrawals now. a terrible notion.
thanks for this! i will pull it apart properly in the next few days, so that i have a spare element, if all works well!

Albert, with the Vam the element just pulls off. Yes?

I just checked an early Caravel and the V piece does not have the bevel on the ends and apex. I suggest that on your machine if ithe V does have those bevels then you can just turn it upside down and it will make the element sit higher then all should be well.