Picked up this dirt cheap Sibilla to refurb over the weekend. Knew it had likely seen freeze damage as the gauge was flipped but it was cheap enough. Tore it apart, one of the (3) HX came out just fine, it is a bit 'bulged' but intact and not leaking. The other two however are bulged and cracked. No way they're coming out. Problem is the boiler isn't the style with the big end cap I can take off so I fear if I cut them to get em out I won't be able to get the remaining part of the HX out through the small holes.

Also I'm having a hard time finding a replacement for the HX, I bought some from nuova ricambi but they're about an inch and a half too long and they said they don't know where to get any shorter ones.






Any ideas?

Hello:

thepatman wrote: ... two however are bulged and cracked.
No way they're coming out.

No ..
Certainly not by asking pretty please. =-)

thepatman wrote: ... cut them to get em out I won't be able to get the remaining part of the HX out through the small holes.

You have to be able to handle them from the outside while you chop away.

To that effect, what you can try to do (if you have the means) is to solder/braze a long stiff brass rod or tube to the inner end of the XH.

Something like this:


Once you get this done, you can pull the tube outwards as much as it can come while you use a dremel to slowly cut away pieces, turning and moving the HX tube as needed till you have done away with the offending bulge. It will be a long PITA but you'll get it done.

Whatever small pieces may drop inside will be small enough to get fished or flushed out via the HX manifolds.

thepatman wrote: ... hard time finding a replacement for the HX ...
... bought some from nuova ricambi but they're about an inch and a half too long ...
... said they don't know where to get any shorter ones.

That's another problem altogether.
Have you sent Astoria Bezzera a mail asking about it?

Do let us know how you fared with this.

Cheers,

CIV

PD: check here:
http://www.cafeparts.com/Bent-Extractab ... duct/15399

Seems there are other OEM that use the same 42mm bent HX.

Thank you, I'll see if I can rig something up and slowly dremel the hx out. The hx you linked to is the same one I purchased from ricambi, it's about 30mm too long. I am wondering if this would work as it's the same diameter

http://www.cafeparts.com/Cartridge-M20- ... duct/11903

it's not bent but it does look like it would contact the surface of the boiler water at least 60% as well as the bent one. Maybe I could just raise the level probe a hair.

Give the nice folks at Astoria USA/GEEC a call:

https://astoria.com/us/contacts/

They should have a more complete parts list and know what's what on the various machine. I found out while rebuilding a Rio JUN that there are two different HX sizes that nobody else had listed.

As for removing the burst HX, how does the size of the opening for the element compare to the HX?

Hello:

thepatman wrote: Thank you ...

You're welcome.

thepatman wrote: ... rig something up and slowly dremel the hx out.

I've seen the dremel trick used quite a few times, the posts are all here at HB.

If you cannot reach the end of the HX to solder/braze the rod/tube, you could fix it to a place on one side.
You'll just have to be more careful when cutting.

thepatman wrote: ... same one I purchased from ricambi, it's about 30mm too long.
... if this would work as it's the same diameter

I would think that the bent 'feature' is probably important to the machine's performance.
Being much easier to make it straight than bent, if they have used a bent one it must be for a good reason.
Probably related to the boiler's diameter/capacity ratio.

thepatman wrote: ... raise the level probe a hair.

Hmm ...
You already have quite a bit of water to heat in that three group boiler.
What is it, maybe 9.5/10.0 litres?

If you cannot get the replacement HXs, as a last resort you could check the new longer HX tubes for a 30 mm long straight sector that you could cut out and then use it to braze the pieces back together. You use the piece you cut out as an inner sleeve which will help you keep it straight (reducing the diameter by cutting out a couple of mm from the circumference) and brazing from the outside or soldering with food grade silver solder.

The joint would be something like this:



Cheers,

CIV