LA PAVONI DIY – MAINTENANCE

fixing the base

La Pavoni in the mid-90s, probably due to a production manager particularly incompetent, introduced on his lever machines, changes to some components, which immediately if they did achieve some goal to reduce costs, have proved to be later failed. Let's talk about teflon piston, plexiglas retainer of the sight glass and ring which tightens the base. Of course, all at the expense of the unfortunate buyers and whose effects are still being felt within 20 years. In 2008 about was made a necessary reverse and it was back to the old components. We hope at least that those who had these brilliant ideas has been reduced to impotence or is retired.

One of the enduring problems afflicting lever models and never solved is the fixing system of the boiler at the base, that is via a threaded ring.

To be able to make integral with the base with the boiler, the ring must be tightened with a special key, to be able to tighten with sufficient force to not to move the boiler, when it insert or removes the filter holder. In the absence of the key you just have to use a chisel and a hammer.

Since 1996, the brass ring has been replaced with a sintetic ring and fragile enough that they can break if beated improperly. The introduction of this ring has also had to change the thread pitch of the boiler, it was too fine for a synthetic ring, creating further problems of compatibility with the previous models.

To facilitate the tightening of the various parts, there are two fiber spacers between the boiler and the base and between the base and the ring.

These spacers with time and heat harden and break, causing loss of adhesion to the whole. To solve the problem need to replace the spacers and tighten the ring.

In the case of synthetic ring should be implemented with a special procedure to avoid breaking it.

The synthetic rings are usually glued to the base in such a position as to allow the perfect alignment of the boiler. In this case, avoid detach from the base and follow the procedure described below.

remove the heating element

 rotate the boiler counterclockwise up to separate it from the base

remove the old spacer

insert the new spacer and screw again the boiler. If the position of the ring is correct, the boiler will stop about a quarter of a turn from its final location, make strenght on the group, to rotate the boiler until it is firmly seated.

If you want to give more resistance to torque you can use a silicone adhesive on the thread (thread lock).

If instead the ring is separated from the base, remain valid the previous instructions but must also glue the ring to the base.
 

© 2013 Francesco Ceccarelli. All rights reserved.
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