Re: ECM Michelangelo
Yeah, I had to get creative at times on the large nuts as my crescent wrench set was lacking on the upper end. Both sets are obscured in the picture by the boiler. The big spanner was also good for beating the rats to death that were living beside the pump. :-? It appears the rodents have been long gone, but left a nice little nest of shredded sugar packets and droppings galore. A pretty decent collection of bug parts was found under the main power box under the drip tray as well. If I hadnt decided to rebuild this, it would have been mildly unhealthy at the very least.
I now have it down to the bare metal frame with all the fittings, electrical wiring, etc... removed. Ive scrubbed it down and now I am sanding the few very minor rust spots before I prime and paint. Then, its on to the acid bath with the copper and brass parts.
My wife thinks this whole project is insane, but I think I finally found a response that makes sense to her. "No man whos ever restored a classic car was in need of transportation."
Just a couple of newbie questions:
1) Do you use any kind of thread compound to ensure a better seal between the plumbing connections? I noticed some white residue during dis-assembly. Would teflon tape suffice or should I look for something rated for higher temperatures?
2) Ive left the few riveted parts on the base (Boiler mounts), but I have considered removing them and replacing with appropriate hardware. Anyone else do anything similar?
Yeah, I had to get creative at times on the large nuts as my crescent wrench set was lacking on the upper end. Both sets are obscured in the picture by the boiler. The big spanner was also good for beating the rats to death that were living beside the pump. :-? It appears the rodents have been long gone, but left a nice little nest of shredded sugar packets and droppings galore. A pretty decent collection of bug parts was found under the main power box under the drip tray as well. If I hadnt decided to rebuild this, it would have been mildly unhealthy at the very least.
I now have it down to the bare metal frame with all the fittings, electrical wiring, etc... removed. Ive scrubbed it down and now I am sanding the few very minor rust spots before I prime and paint. Then, its on to the acid bath with the copper and brass parts.
My wife thinks this whole project is insane, but I think I finally found a response that makes sense to her. "No man whos ever restored a classic car was in need of transportation."

Just a couple of newbie questions:
1) Do you use any kind of thread compound to ensure a better seal between the plumbing connections? I noticed some white residue during dis-assembly. Would teflon tape suffice or should I look for something rated for higher temperatures?
2) Ive left the few riveted parts on the base (Boiler mounts), but I have considered removing them and replacing with appropriate hardware. Anyone else do anything similar?



I havent had a chance to test it yet, but I expect things to work well as no spare parts were found in the hardware bin. Ive got a friend who owns a local coffee shop who will let me borrow their water / power connections to test it out. If all goes well, I plan to have the panels painted Ferrari red to give a nod to her Italian heritage. Heres a few pics of the reassembled state.


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