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La Dorio

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  • #31
    Re: La Dorio

    a cross section sketch showing the centre part in place.
    Water enters the group from the left side goes through the centre hole between the two o rings and out through the four dispersal holes behind the shower screen.

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    • #32
      Re: La Dorio

      hmmm I see. I still wonder though, why the heck put such a strong spring in there? It must do something, otherwise they could have had the brass dispersion block simply thread into the group. IMHO the only reason to have that style of double o-ring seal is if the piston is designed to travel up and down in the group.

      Just curious as Ive never seen anything like that before.

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      • #33
        Re: La Dorio

        If that diagram is right, then the piston/shower carrier unit ought to be able to move upwards a bit further against the spring pressure - is there a possibility the group head is designed to allow variations in dose heights in the basket to occur without affecting the tamping pressure? In other words, to prevent the shot "choking" if the basket is overfilled, by allowing the coffee to push the piston up against the spring rather than causing the coffee to be overtamped?

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        • #34
          Re: La Dorio

          The thing that stops the piston sliding up further into the group as you have described is that the last section (lowest part on the diagram) is too big to slide inside the cylinder (shown in grey) There isnt much thread on the rod that holds it in place so I cant imagine there would be much room for adjustment. But other than that your logic makes sense.
          Hopefully someone out there has experience with this type of group. Id like to be able to understand how its working

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          • #35
            Re: La Dorio

            Well I took a trip out to Coffeeparts on friday and managed to find some appropriate seals to rebuild the groups. Pedro has never seen groups like these before either, he thought they were probably a hybrid group that use lever group castings and modified them for pump/solenoid use.
            Heres a picture of the whole assembly all cleaned up and ready to be put back together.

            And I know the lower seal is technically the wrong way around, but i discussed this with pedro and we believe the seals are not really important as they piston is static and there was no way in hell I could get it to fit the other way

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            • #36
              Re: La Dorio

              well too steps forward and one step back.
              I was cleaning a little bit of surface rust off the plunger in the solenoid and somehow the little spring that puts tension on the plunger just snapped. its really annoying as I doubt there would be any way of buying a replacement spring. Everyone seems to just sell entire solenoids. frustrating to throw out a $90 part for the sake of s 5¢ spring.

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              • #37
                Re: La Dorio

                Might be able to help you out there. if it can wait till youre in town, bring it with you

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                • #38
                  Re: La Dorio

                  Ok Rick ill bring it down. Its the same kind of solenoid as they use on la marzocco machines according to Pedro. I cant wait to explain it to airport security.

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                  • #39
                    Re: La Dorio

                    With the overhaul its looking like I may have to make some new pipework - mostly just steam arm to boiler and pressure gauge to boiler. Just wondering if anyone here could point me in the direction of all those little brass olives and other pressure fittings soldered to the ends of the pipes. Where do you get that stuff?
                    I figure its safer to try and make new parts and have the old ones in case you stuff it all up, rather than altering the originals. Im in Brookvale sydney so if you know anything local let me know.

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                    • #40
                      Re: La Dorio

                      CoffeeParts and Orphan Espresso have olives and BSP back nuts in many different sizes, they get expensive in any sort of quantity though. Plumbing supplies should have copper tubing in a few different gauges too. Brazing them together with a torch and plumbers solder is easy enough with a bit of practice.

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                      • #41
                        Re: La Dorio

                        Also to bend the pipes to nice angles - automotive brake line bender

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                        • #42
                          Re: La Dorio

                          Well i was tormenting myself by looking on a certain Italian Auction site at things I cant afford or collect, and I stumbled on another La Dorio that looks very similar to this one. A different body, but the same configuration of controls They have it listed as produced in 1978. I really wish I could find out more about the machine, maybe i will try and contact the seller and see what they know.

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                          • #43
                            Re: La Dorio

                            Ok some big steps. I chopped the front of the frame off to allow me to expose the groups.
                            I have decided to go down the road of a sort of hot rod custom job with this machine - some modified bodywork, exposed groups, external gauges, that sort of thing.
                            I intend to use some Carimali lever controlled steam arms, but with custom cams and levers - the black plastic ones look a bit nasty.





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                            • #44
                              Re: La Dorio

                              I fitted the stainless back temporarily to take a look at how its shaping up.
                              Next up is to make fittings to pretty up the solenoid wires and start on the panel work.

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                              • #45
                                Re: La Dorio

                                Wow, interesting journey so far, looks like itll be very pretty once youre done though

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