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Gaggia Classica 1 Group
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I also found a way to disassembled the tap rods. Using some soft grips on my pliers and a 15mm wrench, I could exert enough force to loosen the threads. This will be good for cleaning as I smelled penetrating oil inside each one. Lastly, I can definitely fit some 3/8" fittings into two of the heating element holes as I plan to use a replica element that only uses two of them. One will be for the p-stat and one for the vacuum valve. I am ordering some extra tall 3/8" fittings to fit the holes.
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I did the same treatment/cleanup with the bakelite handles as I did with the Internazionale. However the lever handle is not bakelite, rather it is an actual plastic material. Therefore I did not polish it and instead just cleaned off most the grime by hand.
I got my first parts order in, from Paul/Cafelat. For the Classica I got a 1500W 110V heating element + the boiler gasket. They fit nicely! For the studs I will use 45mm stainless A2/304 headless studs with the allen key driver (the ones pictured are a mix of 50mm studs and a 40mm stud while I was checking the gasket alignment). The nuts are extra wide brass M8 nuts that I sourced from a UK auto supply store of all places. They are 50% wider than the regular ones I ordered prior and should withstand more torque. The two extra holes in the lid I intend to try and install a p-stat pipe and a vacuum valve as I want to use the wobbler weight, which is the only boiler fitting not counting the four valves and group flange.
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I was hoping to avoid this issue but I gathered up the courage to actually check to see if there was a bend in the frame. Unfortunately there was. The rusted away screw is not aligned with its frame hole. Taking an edge you can see the gap on the right support of the frame compared to the intact left support! In fact it also appears the boiler-frame piece is slightly bent as well! I can push the boiler part towards the frame a little but one of the two definitely need to be adjusted. This issue appeared to have been present before shipment since it probably occured near when the rusted stud detached itself from the frame. Depending on how serious the damage is it may require sacrificing the old frame paint if heat will need to be involved.
Good thing I am heading up to my metal guy to pick up the Internazionale boiler! He'll help me out with this issue.
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Frame got bent back. The method used was placing a flat surface inside the frame and resting the bent portion of the frame on it while clamping it down gradually against the surface. Before bending it back, two cracks were identified in the frame that were also fixed with welding after the frame was straightened. In the process, I discovered the paint was not actually competely the cause of the brown color, but rather some of brown hue was from the original rusty frame underneath it, essentially the frame got surface rust and was painted over. I was hoping to keep the frame original but the discovery of the rust and the welds that already took off a portion of this paint and leaving exposed and unprotected metal resulted in me deciding to redo the frame coating. One of the original screws and a missing screw were replaced with modern stainless steel ones (the ones with the hex heads). Specifically the replacement ones I used are 90 degree countersink M8 screws and are just about the exact same size as the old ones on the head.
With the frame back I just had to check if the panels fit correctly. In fact they do
. For this machine, the issues I am left with are ensuring I obtain the correct sized gaskets for the valves, and to figure out how I will fit a p-stat and vacuum valve without replacing the original wobbler weight. I purchased some fittings for the lid but the threads are not long enough to catch a proper thread with a seal/gasket.
Oh also I pray the piston to rack connection holds up, that is my next biggest concern. Boiler leaks are also hopefully not a thing.
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The helicoil repair is still ongoing, but I got the group assembled. First thing I do is insert the shutoff valve with the gasket. The group uses the modern 4 v-gaskets and 4 v-rings just like all my other Gaggia groups. With the stack in the group I then lubed the seals and inserted the piston with the spring and two brass sleeve pieces. I tightened the 80mm nut when I was happy with the initial piston height in the group (flush with the bottom sleeve).
With the the spring tool I started compressing the spring to a point where the rack was high enough that the teeth were fully exposed inside the upper group where the pinion is located. I could then insert the pinion, everything greased with my Kynetx grease. The bearings are new and are sealed. It can be inserted with a few light taps of a mallet. The cover cap goes on after.
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What I consider the most difficult portion of this assembly is next, installing the second bearing. It takes some precision to tap in the new bearing due to the tight tolerance of where the bearing is housed on the rack. I also brace the group so that the pinion absorbs most of the force from my mallet. If successful the second bearing cap can screw on. I could then install the preinfusion mechanism, which is easiest to do when the group is on its side. The little spring holding the steel ball is new. Finally the spring tool can be removed by locking the group in the preinfusion position (which I have to say makes a very satisfying click) to allow me to unscrew the tool and install the top nut and acorn nut. Adjustments for the lever position and piston height that shifts during installation will be done after.
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It's been a few months since I posted about the Classica becuase I was tracking down two parts for it (a sight cover for the water level glass and the plexi). I also had to place a thread insert on a bad group thread.
Luckily the parts were sourced and finalized this week so I started assembling the machine in a temporary setup to check the integrity of the boiler and a weird little 5/16" 18 TPI screw that threads into the center of the bottom boiler 'arms'. I think it was added after leaving the factory but I need it to be sealed properly because I cannot access it when the machine is assembled due to the backsplash covering it. Used a fat wad of teflon tape to get that dealt with. I checked one more time that the boiler threads were in good shape and I used 30mm long stainless steel bolts that thread in nicely. The boiler lid itself has a workaround for the two extra holes on top since I only have one element installed. I added the vacuum valve to one hole which will be isolated from the heating element when fully assembled. The unused hole in the lid is just plugged and can be used for manual filling. Everything is 3/8" BSPP.
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In this state + later adding the lower drip tray I brought the machine upstairs, and even without everything installed it was an effort due to the weight, which is over 68 pounds/31 kilos with the drip tray. I had to reweigh a few times to confirm the huge mass but it makes sense why I struggled moving it! They don't make 'em like they used to :lol: I had my little bowls to catch any water and allow me to diagnose anything suspicious. Once upstairs I just hooked up a power cable directly to the terminals and enable power at my GFCI reset button.
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The element itself is rated for 1500W 110V, and when I turned it on for the first time I was struck by two things: it heats up quickly (just over 10 minutes with 3 liters of water) and it is very quiet. Hardly any water came out of the vacuum valve and it sputtered for a second before sealing. It's a little weird to not see a manometer but I turn off the machine when the safety valve starts sputtering. I don't know what the wobbler weight is rated to start releasing steam but it is quite heavy at nearly 1.5kg. I was able to flush the group (without the shower screen to allow debris still inside to escape) to satisfaction and tightened all the bolts and gasket stack when the machine cooled down overnight. I turned it on again this morning to similar results and so far nothing is leaking from the boiler outside of the temporary fittings I installed.
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After changing the water out in the boiler I was almost ready for the first shot. However I needed to borrow a cafelat portafilter gasket from my Marte because it is the only one that will fit into the Gaggia Lever group without fighting me while also installing an IMS shower screen. The other gaskets are just too hard.
I waited 80 minutes for the group to heat up fully, and I pulled the first shot with the original portafilter. It tasted ok but the machine needed to heat up more and I needed to adjust the lever a bit. Unfortunately the video was not recorded properly but I at least have a pic of the shot.
I did take a 2nd video with better results, and after I adjusted the lever. In this configuration I need to do a Fellini pull but the result is something just great. I basically got a dark choco bar in the shot. You can also see how much space I have between the drip tray and the portafilter. I can easily fit my tallest cup with no issue. I am quite happy with the results but I cannot call this project complete until all the fittings and panels are installed.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lb9d1WZI2XQ
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I have tested the machine under pressure enough to decide the boiler and lower screw are sealed fine without issue, so I will take off the grouphead and front foot so I can install the backsplash then fittings. In prep for the full assembly I cut a pstat bracket from a 20 mm wide x 2 mm thick aluminum sheet, then bent to shape and drilled. I installed the big panel piece to make sure the pstat does not brush against it and fits in where I placed the bracket. I also placed the top on so I could confirm the boiler lid pieces have a gap/are not touching, and if I could secure the lid with its screw. However without a plexi it looks a little incomplete...
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