Does anyone have a link to the proper COMPLETE gasket kit (and sight glass parts) for the early 1974 (same as 1973) Europiccola.

This still has the brass insert in the group.

I know there are some unique parts to this time period including the gasket for the boiler cap, brass sleeve, and portafilter.

Thanks!

Here ya go -

http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/Ricam ... 201974.JPG

found here -

http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/ricambi_eng.htm

This morning I had some time to start disassembly of the EP.
I'll detail what tools are needed, and will make pics talk, so to speak.
We will need metric spanners, a 14/15 and 16/17 - the 10 is used in post 1974 EP to take down the group.
Gloves, a BIG screwdriver (for the viewglass top), large and small bronze bristle brush, medium paint brush, the tool for C rings and seegers, small screwdriver and self made gasket tool (made from a small flat screwdriver - more on that later), big adjustable wrench and the specialized tools to remove coil, boiler ring and brass sleeve. In the US, Orphan Espresso sells for about 40 $ the brass sleeve tool (I want one! I'll buy it as soon as I can), I'm using an improvised tool at this time, pictured with the other improvised tool... they work although not ideal. I need to purchase an oil filter removal tool as well.


The tools that will be used to tear down the EP. Not pictured, tools to polish and clean, and WD40.


Detail of the crappy homemade tools which are not so suited for the job, but hey, that 's what I have.


Cleaning the base from the crud that comes loose with the big bronze bristle brush.


Removing the switch.


Using the paintbrush to remove flaking paint and aluminum oxide.


Generally cleaning the EP with a moist rag.


Just a close up to show that's not sparkling clean, but, hey we can work on it without being infected with some bug.


Removing C rings from the lever pins.


Removed pins and roller, with the machined lever head. Seen worse.


Big screwdriver, removing the viewglass screw.


Tacking the lower sightglass compression nuts with the 17 spanner. Place cardboard or so to avoid scratching the boiler

Sight glass compression nuts removed.


After the sight glass has been pushed out of the top... yep, it's cracked, all right. Darn.


Time to remove the sight glass compression brass washer.


Now it's the turn of the caked on gasket...


Gawd, it was tough! but we got it out.


And here's the metal protection sight glass, compression nuts and brass washers.


With a 14 spanner, let's remove the steam tap retaining nut.


Onse that's loosened, it's easy to screw out the whole group.
Bad news.. someone tried to remove the valve stem the bad way. Maybe I'll have to replace it. Darn again.


Using a 16 spanner, lets remove the steam wand.


...and using the same 16 spanner, lets also remove the over pressure valve.

Steam wand, OPV body, spring and ball, and condensation chute removed.


With a 14 spanner, loosen the piston height adjusting bolt.


removed both piston nut and bolt, with a flat wooden block, remove the piston, shower and caked on group gasket. BE CAREFUL! I assumed from the start you have a 1970-74 group with a removable shower. Otherwise, this action will DESTROY your pre-1970 group, since the shower screen is mounted permanently on the brass sleeve. Let me stress this. YOU WILL DESTROY YOUR PRE-1970 GROUP THIS WAY. Thanks DrGary for pointing this out.


The piston, group gasket and shower. The group gasket, although hard as bakelite, is surprisingly in good condition. Probably the machine had been serviced, uh, tampered, more like it, by some incompetent, as the scratches on the steam tap and horrible deformations on the screw on heating element (next pics up) suggest.


Forgot to post this one. The gasket of the boiler cap


The heating element and boiler ring, soaked with penetrating oil. Tomorrow I'll remove these as well.


Yep... WD40 goes a long way.

OK, so that's all for now. Please tell me what you think.

Everything seems to be clear up to now... so I'll just go on disassembling the EP.


After a whole 24 hours curing with WD40, it's time to remove the burnt heating element.
An image of when I was adjusting the crappy tool I made.


Element removed. Gawd, its caked. Not to worry... I have to throw it in the garbage anyway.


Inside it's scaled as well.


Now we have to remove the boiler ring. It's imperative we clean well the threads with a bronze brush and WD40. Follow up with a rag, be sure not to damage the threads and that they are really clean.


After a couple taps with a BIG screwdriver and mallet to get it started, it's easy to remove.


The base with the removed boiler gasket.


Close up of the threads, once I've cleaned them. Some butcher obviously damaged the rim in a previous attempt to change the element. We'll need to do something about that ding, since the SS element uses a thin O ring that sits right on top of that boiler rim.


Inside of the group, we need to remove the C clip, brass ring and small piston gasket.



Using the right tool for the job!


Using the same tool to remove the brass ring.


Removed the C clip, brass ring and small piston gasket.


And here is our EP completely disassembled. The parts that are not included in this picture will not be used for our build. Opinions! Tell me if you like it!

And here is our EP completely disassembled. The parts that are not included in this picture will not be used for our build. Opinions! Tell me if you like it!

Utterly fascinating. One question: shouldn't the brass sleeve from the group be in your parts picture? Or is this not removable?

Matt

Nope. only the WD40 didn't cure in time!
Here's the brass sleeve removal.


The crappy sleeve removal tool (aptly named crappy tool #2) in place.


Wow! It actually worked! It's not the fist time it works of course, but every time i wonder if i'll actually be able to pull the stunt "this time".


A detail of crappy tool #2 with the removed brass sleeve.


The removed brass sleeve! Note the good condition of the black rubber flat gasket. It's possible to reuse it, although I'll just go and replace it. Note: current O ring gasket, although of the right diameter, is way too thick to use. Orphan Espresso has these, it's an about 1mm thick, flat, section gasket. others may have them, in Italy (and I suppose for the rest of Europe as well) Francesco Ceccarelli has them.

Well, I hope I am not boring people out of their minds... I understand I am still in the "strip the thing down" part, but hey!
Ok. Since cleaning is not so interesting anyway, I'll just go by it writing that I have by now cleaned the parts that i intend to use for the build, descaling the boiler, and will soon start stripping the base. No reason to post images. Now, maybe the aluminum base preparation could be interesting, as at least one guy did ask me how I made the base...
In the mean time, I'd think that a recipe for the parts we will need may be more interesting, as some may take time to order and deliver to our door, and may have to be ordered to multiple sources.
For simplicity, I will use official La Pavoni part numbers, as found on the original factory schematics.

I will assume that we'll go for the minimum build, and we may increase all the way to the top in steps (after all, let's be sure it works, before shelling out more $$$).

Every part will be the same in any part of the world you live, with the sole exception of the heating element.
But, apart from that, the single, most important part we will need for this rebuild is the ever-evanescent...

La Pavoni Brass Boiler Flange with the 1.25mm "fine" thread.
You may have to dig around for this part. Sources I know of include:
- Italy, Lamacchinadelcaffe.com (send an email to Mr. Kimeo, at info@lamacchinadelcaffe.com), it's the original Pavoni part and costs 48 Euro, NOT AVAILABLE ANY MORE but it is a great source for many other parts...

- Germany, Coffemaker (http://www.coffeemaker-spareparts.com/L ... :4273.html)
it's a newly manufactured compatible and costs 29 Euro. AT THIS TIME; THE ONLY SOURCE I HAVE. Moderator note: Ask the company if they have these in stock before you order. They didn't notify me of a backorder without ETA until I inquired two weeks later.

Mod note added 9/28/16: Our sponsor Stefano's Espressocare now offers a newly manufactured fine thread boiler flange that will accommodate a modern heating element.

As for the heating element. What we need is either:

La Pavoni heating element 120Volt 1000W + gasket, part no. 331334 for US and those places that use 100-110 V (note: many do include the gasket with this part. Check whether your source does!)

OR

La Pavoni heating element 230V 1000W + gasket part no. 331335 for Europe and generally everywhere else using 220 V, same as above for the gasket,

OR

La Pavoni heating element 240V 1000W + gasket part no. 331333 for UK and generally everywhere else using 240v, same as above for the gasket.

The rest of the list.
La Pavoni boiler to base gasket part no. 362019. Only one is needed, boy scout's word!

La Pavoni central bolt gasket part no. 361006;

La Pavoni steam tap gasket part no. 361023;

La Pavoni piston gasket part no. 361005, two are needed;

La Pavoni Teflon gasket part no. 362021, this goes on top of the water level view glass screw, either we want a pressure gauge or not;

La Pavoni water level view glass gasket part no. 362020 (we need two, of course);

La Pavoni chrome pressure gauge part no. 453040 (optional, but hey it's an Ultimate build, right?);

La Pavoni 12mm pressure gauge adapter part no. 3120104 for the above;

La Pavoni pressure element part no. 451308 - this is the Ma-Ter mod. Echo 125u pstat. I pay 24 Euro for this, but I have seen some places sell it for over 80$!

La Pavoni water level view glass part no. 453101;

La Pavoni reset thermostat part no. 436040 (you may also optionally want the thermostat fence, part no. 371105, and will need silicone thermal paste);

La Pavoni pressure element tube part no. 3421128, this comes complete.

Now, there's a couple options; if we want to fit the Anti-Vacuum OPV, we will need the following:

- La Pavoni body valve part no. 396751 (it includes both the part that is fitted to the boiler and the body that contains the valve spring and plug), and

- La Pavoni anti-vacuum kit - valve plug, part no. 396754 R, and Spring, part no. 311407 (normally sold together as a kit, as the name implies...).

If we want to stick with the less expensive option, all we will need is...

- La Pavoni safety valve kit - Polymer mushroom valve plug, part no. 371416, and Spring, part no. 311406 (normally sold together as a kit, as the name implies...). It will work with our existing OPV body.

As for the portafilter group gasket, we have many alternatives. In the US there's Orphan Espresso (here: http://www.orphanespresso.com/Vintage-B ... c_439.html), which carries both the part, and the brass sleeve gasket. I strongly support this route if you're in the US. Actually, I may want to buy a couple myself.

Otherwise, we can cut out of 2mm (or 1mm x 2) thick automotive fiber/impregnated flat gasket material (used to build custom gaskets) the adapter that we can fit to the group to be able to use the standard La Pavoni portafilter group gasket (old type) 465300 - OR6187.

Lastly, and I did this once long time ago, machine (or have someone machine it for you) a simple 2mm thick brass ring of the right diameter. I can supply the exact dimensions, just not now (I need to disassembly my morning coffee machine for this).

For the electrical part, we will need a 2 position toggle switch - the La Pavoni part no. for this is 435074, I used a Carling Toggle Switch, DPDT, 6 Conn., On/On 4X850 16 A 125v 3/4HP part;

plus Faston crimp-on connectors, heat-shrink tubing of the right size, a safety heat resistant 3 pole cord (the one used for electric irons, with Silicone insulation), fiberglass reinforced silicone leads for internal wiring and other bits and ends.

Feel free to suggest whatever I forgot in this long list.
I did not include prices because they vary WILDLY.
And, please, let me know you do appreciate this!! Let me know what you think!