What is the purpose of the silicone tube on the steam control valve? Looking at the updated post I could not figure out if this was part of the heat control or for a different issue??

Heat control mod for 2nd Generation La Pavoni Levers

I ordered an extra dipper tube and the plastic plug as part of an order I did a few days ago... so I will have that here in a day or two...

So modify plug to fit head group. Make two groves on it to accommodate o-rings (did you share the size of the o-rings?). Modify center hole for the dipper tube to go in tightly.

Modify dipper tube. What is the distance from the tip of the dipper tube? And how wide is the cut?

This looks like an easy mod, reversible, no outside visual changes, and allows for better temp control. What is not to like!!?


I just love the stock look of this machine...well, the pressure profiling mod from naked-portafilter.com looks great! I think that would be the only mod that I would do that would alter the visual aspects of the machine...and the threaded pins that eliminate the circlip units... yeah, that is it...

In mycase, the fit is so tight that I don't think the o-rings are necessary. Here are some pictures of mine, in case it helps:

Max, do you have yours still apart? I would like to know the distance from the tip of the tube and how wide I need to make that cut/hole...

Glad to read that it was good enough without the o-rings.

It's assembled, and the fit is too snug to easily open up. I didn't put much thought into position and size of the hole, so mine wouldn't help much anyway. Do you think the position/size is that crucial?

I don't know, but since I am going to do this mod here soon, wanted to get as much detail as possible. My guess is that it just has to be inside and that it clears the gasket for the water to be able to flow...

I want to chime in and thank DanoM for creating/testing his mod and supporting it.

I modified my 2nd gen Europiccola (1995 sticker) a couple weeks ago and it's been working great.

I ordered a spare dipper tube and the millennium plastic insert. It took me a while to get the insert filed down to the correct fit but I really didn't want to search around for a different piece that "might" fit when I knew that I could get one that definitely would. I think I used the typical method and just ran a small bolt through the hole, put small washers on each side, clamped it in my cordless drill and kept running my metal file on the side of it until it fit.

I wasn't having much success using the file on the dipper tube. I ended up using my Dremel to cut out the notch and it worked very well. I used a cut-off wheel and just ran it back-and-forth to saw/grind the slot. I had a small, green-colored, bullet-shaped polishing bit that fit perfectly in the tube to smooth any rough edges or burrs. I don't know what size it was but it looks like the ones that are listed as "diamond-in-rubber emery polishing bits."

My temp stability has been awesome and I've been getting great shots. It was a little weird at first because the water doesn't have as much "force" coming out of the shower screen when I do an initial flush - but I don't think it adversely affects anything. I, also, have to slowly work the piston up-and-down as it reaches temp because it feels like the piston gaskets "catch" and chatter a little until there's some water moving around in there??? Not sure if that's what's really happening, or not.

wachuko wrote:What is the purpose of the silicone tube on the steam control valve? Looking at the updated post I could not figure out if this was part of the heat control or for a different issue??

That silicone tube on the steam valve was to get an easy, solid seal on the steam valve. Just a light touch on the steam valve will turn it on or off. Not a necessary mod, but it works very nicely without causing wear on the steam valve seat.

wachuko wrote:So modify plug to fit head group. Make two groves on it to accommodate o-rings (did you share the size of the o-rings?). Modify center hole for the dipper tube to go in tightly.

You can do it with or without the seals as has been mentioned above. My first mod used the insert as a mount point for the dipper tube, and the o-rings gave it some necessary stability. If I were doing it over again I'd probably skip the o-rings and just make a tight fit with the insert mounted in a drill and filing down the diameter.

Open up the hole for the dipper tube to barely pass through. Then pass it through, screw the dipper tube into the back of the group, unscrew the dipper and insert from the group, make marks for filing. I used a normal metal bastard file's narrow edge to file down the brass. I wanted the cut hole to be at least as large as the tube inlet for good water flow.

mrtwobits wrote:It was a little weird at first because the water doesn't have as much "force" coming out of the shower screen when I do an initial flush - but I don't think it adversely affects anything. I, also, have to slowly work the piston up-and-down as it reaches temp because it feels like the piston gaskets "catch" and chatter a little until there's some water moving around in there??? Not sure if that's what's really happening, or not.

Did you clean up all the brass hanging around your newly cut hole? You'll usually get some thin 'foil' hanging around there. I used a round diamond file to clean the edges and make sure it was clear of any foil and flakes. Didn't want any to break free and cause piston seal issues.

You might want to check out the piston and seals to make sure that there aren't any flakes around there. Give it a good clean up and lube with Dow 111 while it's open might be a good thing too.

Glad it's working out well for you. Really makes the 2nd generation La Pavoni a joy to use.

The hole is all good. The small dremel polishing bit worked great at smoothing out the cuts. It also fit perfectly inside the tube and let me make sure there weren't any burrs that I couldn't see.

I haven't taken it apart since the modification. Maybe I'll give it a cleaning and check all the parts and seals.

It is a beautiful thing to see the temps stay right around 200°F.

I would like to express my gratitude to DanoM for sharing the mod with the community. Like so many other first time lever owners, I struggled with the search for a solid routine to net me 4 (stable) shots with my 2nd gen Europiccola. I tried everything from adding a PID and creating a plumbed coiled copper heat exchanger inside the boiler to purchasing the Naked Pressure profiling kit from Gabor. The above were all successful in their own right, but none as simple and profound as this Mod. It took me 30 minutes and about $15. Wonderful.