Bezzera Strega Repair in the Bush

Equipment doesn't work? Troubleshooting? If you're handy, members can help.
breeze
Posts: 7
Joined: 15 years ago

#1: Post by breeze »

After several years of excellent service, I went to switch my Strega on and nothing, nada, dead machine. I was early into a major repair job on my house after Hurricane Maria so I pushed the machine aside and went Aeropress for the next year. Every time I looked at the Strega my heart fell. There is no service around here and I am no espresso machine technician, for certain.

Six months ago I summoned the courage to try to remove the external metal and have a look. Yikes, time now to find a parts diagram and see what's what. Another two month delay as other things got in the way! Finally with a bright light I examined the very crowded internals and spotted a problem. At the head of the boiler heating element there are two electrical connections. The insulation on one was burned and melted, a smoking gun if you will. I identified the part number for the element and decided to goto the vendor that sold the machine.

They are I am sure, doing their best in the pandemic but oh boy. Finally through a crooked route I was able to direct an email to the right department and a few days later received a reply, with a phone number even! A real person answered! I told him what I discovered and he indicated the great likelihood that the element was fried. There is/was a way to test ohms with a multimeter but I couldn't get the expected results so given the evidence and reasonable cost, decided to place an order. They had it in stock. I inquired as to the likelihood that if the element shorted out there would be damage elsewhere. He said, "Probably not".

Slow boat to china, I received the element a few weeks later and found the correct metric socket to fit the hex on the element. It was extremely tight for obvious reasons but backed out. I couldn't see damage to the outside of the element tubes but placed a bit of thread sealer on the new element and screwed it in. Next was a repair job on the burned spade connecter, plug both into the element and energize the machine. I had the machine plugged into a GFI outlet and a second after I hit the machine on switch, the outlet tripped. Damn.

Time for Bush Logic. I had never run the machine dry but if the element cooked, perhaps the pump had failed and whatever prevent mechanism to guard the element is either not there or failed. Back to my vendor and long story short I had a replacement pump in hand within a month, again at a very reasonable cost.

Landing a socket on the element at one end of the boiler was easy. Figuring how to access the pump and it's various connections, not so much. I removed the brackets that hold the water tank in place and a couple of more items and was now able to remove the piping from the pump and the pump from it's vibration brackets. Carefully I got the new pump in place and re-connected the pipes and wiring, which I had marked with a sharpie to insure they went back correctly. With the machine upright, I placed the water tank on its seat even before I reattached the brackets and gave it a drink of water. Time to test.

I energized the machine, hit to go switch and no blown outlet and within seconds, the pump came on! Yes, I'm a genius he said as water began to gush out of the lever assembly, out front. OK, shut her down and think. I had at one time removed the piston and placed a bit of 111 lube on the gaskets but how long has the machine been sitting? Too long. Time to order piston gaskets and the one that seals against the portafilter. Hey, I'll order three sets for the piston and three undercup gaskets. They were in stock and a couple of weeks later, in my hand. Three undercup gaskets and three piston gaskets. Yikes. I though they would come as a set of three and I would receive nine but not so. I did however have the three I needed.

The old gaskets were stiff and I ended up cutting them off and placing the new rings in the proper orientation with a bit of 111 lube. The undercup gasket was hard as a rock and broke trying to remove so it was past time for that one. Everything went back together including the wires for the heater in the lever tube which I had to disconnect to remove the piston assy. Watered it up, plugged it in and viola, no leakage on the front end and after burping all the air out of the boiler with the hot water, steam tap and lever, the machine came up to proper temp and pressure. I carefully inspected the "guts" for any leaks and had none. I left the machine on at pressure for an hour or so and reinspected, no leaks. Back with all the brackets and sheet metal with everything bright getting a good polish.

My Strega has been returned to service and after a week of morning use, is functioning properly and producing great drinks. This tale is not supposed to be a step by step repair manual but instead, hopefully anyone else out there under a Coconut Palm and a dead machine will take courage and dive in.

jgood
Posts: 891
Joined: 6 years ago

#2: Post by jgood »

Bravo!