Rancilio Audrey overhaul required

[robdog1968]

Hello all, I have just taken a punt on a Rincilio Audrey with the plan of using it at work. Only paid $20 and to be honest i was not expecting much but was pleasantly suprised as bearing in mind the age it looks in good condition (externally).
I tried priming the machine as per the instructions and didn't have much success, (machine was bone dry - no idea last time it was used) i eventually got water being expelled from the wand with the tap open and the shot switch on (as it says in the manual) but when i shut the steam tap off i only got the merest dribbles from the grouphead - certainly not enough to generate a shot. I retried the process a few times then the machine shut down - i assume a thermal protection switch. The only other thing i could say was that the water that did come out the machine smelt very old.
Has anyone got any ideas for things to look at first? A descale maybe? There was no water softener cartridge in the tank and sombody had written 'not required' in the manual next to this item as the water 'is good' !! If a desale is a worthwhile first start can i use white vinegar? Are spare parts still available for this machine. Looking forward to having a play with this to see if it can be returned to its former glory!
Thanks in advance for any advice..

[smokey]

robdog, I suggest you pull the boiler apart and clean it, sounds like it is full of scale. With a machine that you got for $20 I suspect that it needs a bit of an overhaul, the fastest way would be to go on youtube and check out the vids there to see how to do it. Good luck and keep us informed of how it goes.

Edit:
You can use vinegar, but I would suggest opening the boiler and scraping out the muck might be a better way to do it, but there may be others with different advice for you.

And yes, parts are freely available from the coffeesnobs sponsors

[robdog1968]

Thanks Smokey, time to get my hands dirty.

[robdog1968]

Teardown has begun. Its actually in pretty good condition below all its covers. The boiler is clean with only a small amount of residue inside. The sediment on the base plate is small gritty and loose. Next steps are to clean up the expansion valve and solenoid valve. Does anybody know if the shimmed washers used to seal and align the expansion valve to the boiler body are re-useable? i.e. if they are copper washers i plan on re-annealing them. Same deal with the boiler O ring - worth trying to re-use?
Cheers

[robdog1968]

Hi all, An update for any interested parties. The boiler internals were very clean, however the group head was a different matter with it all clogged with burnt on coffee grinds and oils from down the ages, this has all been thoroughly cleaned along with the OPV and solenoid valve. Once all back together it seemed to function perfectly with a decent flow though the group head and steam wand. However, I noticed a small leak from the OPV return to the tank. A two minute job to unscrew and seal with some thread tape saw the nut threads split in two upon retighten (there was a fair bit of porosity in the base metal).
So have now splashed out $60 on a new adjustable valve from the later Silvia and am waiting on delivery. Does anyone know if these are factory set to the correct pressure or if I need to set it once installed?
Cheers