Help with compak k3

[chrislow]

Hi, hope you guys can help. I have a k3 touch around 8 years and a Silvia even older. Decided to clean grinder the other day as long overdue, first time in fact. It wasn't giving me trouble just thought it was about time and I should man up and have a go. Watched a few videos and thought I new what I was doing. Loosened the locking screw and screwed off the whole top. Brushed and vacuumed it out as it was very dirty. Put top back on and tightened until it stopped then backed off a bit. First coffee was a gusher 60 ml in 5 secs. Turned grinder on and slowly turned until I heard burrs hit and backed of a mm. Still pouring 60ml in around 10 secs. Burrs feel dull and I'll get new ones, but do you think that's the problem. Before I pulled it apart I could choke the Silvia with ease. I'm a bit frustrated.
Chris

[dumiya]

I don't know the machine, but my immediate thought is that the two grind surfaces are not aligned..
That is one edge is closer than the other.

[Steve82]

I don't know the machine, but my immediate thought is that the two grind surfaces are not aligned..
That is one edge is closer than the other.

Further to this, the K3 has a very finicky thread when reinstalling upper burr carrier.

If you did not make sure that you were correctly threaded and have tightened it all the way down to zero, new burrs will not help.

However if the upper burr is correctly threaded, you may have built up coffee grinds stuck under areas where the burrs mate to their respective surfaces creating alignment problems. In which case new burrs and cleaning everything really well should solve your problems.

[chrislow]

That all sounds reasonable and were my first thoughts. when i hear them touch its not a constant sound but pulsing like it touches once per revolution,i notice too when i first hear them touch the play in the top carrier allows the burrs to touch and pull away again if you know what i mean. Not sure how thats possible, the play in the carrier shouldnt affect the burrs should it?

[QUOTE=Steve82;546282]Further to this, the K3 has a very finicky thread when reinstalling upper burr carrier.

If you did not make sure that you were correctly threaded and have tightened it all the way down to zero, new burrs will not help.

However if the upper burr is correctly threaded, you may have built up coffee grinds stuck under areas where the burrs mate to their respective surfaces creating alignment problems. In which case new burrs and cleaning everything really well should solve your problems.[/QUOTE

I never removed the burrs from their carrier so i don't see how grinds could be trapped under anything.
Further to my puzzlement i seem to able to go past "0" where i first hear the burrs touching (when empty) after i put beans in.
I'll attempt to see if its been threaded on wrong, i suppose i would noticed damaged thread.

update: i have checked the thread and there is no damage.

with the grinder on and slowly screwing it down, is the first noise i hear the burrs touching, or might it be the keys in the carrier hitting the sweeper thing, if you look inside you will know what i mean.

[chrislow]

sorry if i'm not waiting for comments before i ask another question but I'm desperate for another good coffee. Ive had a fiddle, and noticed that there is a discrepancy between when the burrs seemingly first touch, ie "with grinder on turning until i first hear a noise." and when i crank hard with the grinder off. I can get another 30 deg or so. So which is "0"?

[dumiya]

Put a piece of paper between the plates and tighten then undo the top one and see if there is an impression. Blue tac would also work. The idea is to see if the grinding surfaces marry evenly. Old diffs used this method.

[chrislow]

Thanks, I think I'm back to where i was pre-clean. Its the difference of where you think zero is and just grinding by results. Still an average coffee but as good as i normally get...