Older La Cimbali Junior D1 with serious rust issues - Page 2

March 24th, 2023, 9:57 am

JRising wrote:What do you mean by loose? The hexagonal body moves or leaks, or the plunger is free to move up and down?
The plunger (with the circlip/e-clip around it) is supposed to be able to move.

Hexagonal body is stable, but the plunger is moving freely.
Very freely. I do not know it is visible on the photos but it is leaking.

I'm a bit afraid to plug this into the mains.

#12: Post by **WWWired** » March 24th, 2023, 10:25 am

Definitely looks like an Anti-Vacuum Valve of some sort on the top of the boiler level gauge:) . . . interesting location

The two yellow wires near your pump might be for a thermal cut-off fuse that slips into that slotted area on the pump. I can't quite see if the wires are connected to the pump wires but if they are in-line with the wiring that powers the pump, it might be a thermal fuse contact/terminal that monitors if the pump gets too hot and then will cut the power to the pump if the pump housing exceeds a certain temperature. A picture from the other side will help reveal the wire's location and function to many here who can answer.

The major components look to be in not bad shape. Definitely an unusual corrosion pattern on the base; I'm wondering if it was near an area in the kitchen where it came from that had water on the counter area regularly (perhaps next to a sink or dishwashing station?)

March 24th, 2023, 10:28 am

I've checked again. It is a ground cable

and found the other side of it as well.

March 24th, 2023, 10:47 am

There are some news!

It lets the water in, it starts to heat it as well but it sounds like that it has a lot of limescale inside, but I have guessed that. This little water container with those funny looking wires is there for what? It should stop letting the water in when it senses that this little one is full?

#15: Post by **JRising** » March 24th, 2023, 10:53 am

Lefetylorant wrote:Hexagonal body is stable, but the plunger is moving freely.
Very freely. I do not know it is visible on the photos but it is leaking.

Leaking what, though?
It should be well above the water-line. It sits atop the sight glass, you should physically see the water line well below that valve. Moving freely is good, you want it to move when the water comes to a boil so that it will close. Because it it probably 7+ years old, I imagine it will still leak, because those things need to be replaced every 12 months in commercial situations and your machine looks like it has always been long overdue for maintenance visits.

If the sight glass is filling higher than it should, fix the boiler-overfill issue and test again.
If that vacuum breaker is still leaking steam even when the water level isn't up to it, then yes, replace that valve for sure. If you want to replace it just based on the common need to replace things like that regularely, then by all means replace it, but your new one will be moving freely, too. Gravity wouldn't be strong enough to pull it open if it were spring loaded or detented.

#16: Post by **JRising** » March 24th, 2023, 11:00 am

Look at those 2 yellow wires that share the single faston connection (That isn't connected to anything).
I'm fairly certain that you're going to find that those wires have a green stripe. I believe that if you trace them through the machine they will connect up with the other ground wires (like the small section at the far left of same photo where the green is visible).
Someone has at some point replaced your original grounded pump with that Ulka that isn't grounded... That's the left-over connection.
BUT! DO make sure I'm correct before plugging the machine in. Follow it or prove to yourself it has the green stripe.

#17: Post by **rblankin** » March 24th, 2023, 11:02 am

Here's a very old review you may find helpful:
/junior-buyers-guide.html

I had the rotary pump version of that machine for close to 20 years. I found this place to be helpful for parts. Unfortunately, parts tend to be expensive for it and some may have to be special ordered. On the upside, parts are apparently still in production.
https://www.cafeparts.com/Home

If you search, you will find a LOT of old posts about that machine. It's a classic!

#18: Post by **WWWired** » March 24th, 2023, 11:04 am

Definitely JRising has brilliant solutions and a great path forward

As well, your Vacuum Breaker valve likely has a little o-ring that forms the seal when the pressure in that hydraulic pathway increases and presses that pin upwards. Here is a short video showing a Vacuum Breaker (sometimes called an Anti-Vacuum Valve), before and after descaling/cleaning with citric acid and replacement of the o-ring that forms the seal (you'll have to inspect the one inside your vacuum breaker to see what it is like) . . .

March 24th, 2023, 11:21 am

Hello guys thanks for all the replies!

I think basically this machine is in working order:

it lets the water in

it starts to boil it

after the pressure has been built up it stops the heating

pushed the button to start and the pump started, hot water poured out

Altough it was a bit interesting that the pump was not wanted to stop for a long time after the water was pumped out, so I removed the plug from the mains.

#20: Post by **Randy G.** » March 24th, 2023, 8:42 pm

That qualifies for the "Rat Rod" of the last decade here is my vote. If you or someone you know is a metal worker it might be worth 'restoring,' at least to working order.. maybe. If someone offered it to me for $50 I would say, 'show me the cash before I load it into my car.'

But for the money you paid it might be a good educational project. What you learn working on it may be more valuable than the $50 (in your money) than you spent. DO NOT plug that it unless it is on a GFI outlet (or whatever it is called in Hungary).

Any bets from the crowd on what the inside of the boiler looks like?