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Wire brush and you'll be fine

Couple of spanners to tighten it, may be worth getting some ptfe tape wrapped round the threads!

Leaking pstat connection is my bet

Boring but critical update...

1hr in the freezer and a going over with a wire brush and my lock ring squeezed on with the oil filter wrench. Gave it another going over and a light greasing and it span all the way in by hand 😁

Full seal/gasket set should be arriving tomorrow. The plan is to put it back together with the original components and firstly see if there are any leaks in the boiler and check if the element works.

Bonus if the original element works too. It'll get a descale inside, a deep clean on the outside and then rebuilt probably in the new year.

Keen if you can post? (at my cost obviously!)

Absolutely, a couple of fettles and they're usually fine. Anything else they are toast. As I found out again 😅

Update on my Europiccola refresh...

Tightened up the lock ring last night with my new breaker bar and oil filter wrench with the help of my dad keeping the base aligned (we got there on the second attempt...)

Then set to with refitting the element and rewiring the machine with a gaggia baby wiring loom. Handy as it is heat proof and has the right heatproof insulated connectors, too. I also fitted a new power cable (iron flex) which is terminated inside with a connector block.

Wooden handles fitted as well as a re-lubed grouphead/piston.

Then I had to move (bend) the pstat pipe as the element was in a new position because of the lock ring being in a different position. This caused a split so a new pipe is on the way... Just this and it'll be finished.

Here's a pic as it looks today

😂😂😂😂

Agreed! Will need some elbowgrease I'm sure.

Just won this...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205151280050?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=QdwEddNFTge&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=90nfr6tdTdu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Should make a cracking winter project as I have a new lock ring and element already, which are the expensive bits.

One thing I will be adding though will be a resettable thermal fuse 😂

Have chorus STIs

I think that's the legendary Bruce Pappas! Have watched a few of his videos.

I have an electric impact hammer tool thingy but it's on its last legs, and it flings the oil filter wrench so fast it occasionally slips off, so breaker bar it is!!

Made a bit of progress on my europiccola refresh/tart up

New element and pstat pipe chucked on and some wiring put together, fired up and got up to pressure, pstat cycles nicely.

Then I found out the base was loose (not sure how, its been sat in the garage for the best part of a year) I fitted the lock ring last year when I first built it.

This time I'm going bigger and better and using a breaker bar and a workmate to get some leverage into it so it should stay put this time round!

Then I can tidy up the wiring, fit the new wooden handles and hopefully pull some shots.

I should probably fit a resettable thermal fuse as well.

No, but...

A few years ago I had a Classic that I fitted a diy PID to, only on the boiler thermostat, so the steam wiring was untouched (sans PID).

I learnt a lot about the existing steam thermostat and how it operates as the PID would read out the boiler temp.

When the steam switch was turned on, the temp would go to around 145-150 degrees, then the light would come on to indicate steam was ready. As soon as the steaming started, the temperature would plummet down to around 110 degrees and fizzle out. It would then take forever for the thermostat to kick in again and get steaming.

So I learnt to start steaming around 140 degees ish, whilst the light was off and boiler still getting up to it's 145/150 degrees cut off. This meant that the thermostat would stay on and the steam would be continuous.

The Gaggia stock thermostats have massive swings and a long time to kick back in again, but a bit of trial and error works a treat! You may even be able to get a cheap digital thermometer that you can attach to the boiler somehow from the inside and get to know a bit more before splashing out on any other upgrades.

All aboard the pavoni rebuild inspo!

This week, subject to parts arriving I'll be fitting

New element & seal
Switch
Wiring (internal gaggia coffee deluxe wiring FTW)
Wooden handles
Steam tap shaft

May swap out the power cable for some iron flex if I can get the right spec.

Gaggia Classic spruce up underway...

Bought this about 6 weeks ago as a frameset that was a bit tired. It was bought from a Kinesis employee who beleives it was a team bike from around a decade + ago for the Kinesis Morvelo team.

Had been in a container for a number of years and the rather nice TRP Eurox magnesium calipers had seized to the studs so had them removed and new studs threaded in. Then the top tube cable guide rivet broke, so had that bonded back on. New headset bearings along the way and built up with 1x10 105 gear and my set of (tired but functional) Hunts.

Finished last week and it's a hoot to ride! Looking forward to less soggy/boggy weather and taking out for a proper ride. On the road it's great.

the portafilter funnel if it doesn't come with one - game changer for avoidance of mess

upgraded tamper

1kg bag of citric acid from amazon for descaling

tub of puly caff for backflushing

hockey puck to rest portafilter on when tamping

scales

Got a boardman full carbon fork in black, rim brake.

Lol

Got campagnolo chorus skeletons here in black. Rear needs a fettle as it doesn't return when on the bike, nice and springy off the bike though (if that makes sense).

what water are you using?

Oh absolutely, couldn't agree more. I love a V60. Despite how shit some my home roasting is, it would be even shitter with milk chucked in it!

😂😂😂😂 I'm sure they may just about survive

Just purchased a new element to get an old europiccola back up and running.

I put it together last year but dismantled some of it to get other machines working!

It needs wiring, a switch and a steam tip. I have a chrome drip tray and wooden handles on the way too.

It's a proper mongrel - early orange base with rubber sub-base, millennium group head, modern anti vac valve and a pressure stat instead of twin elements. Oh, and a pressure gauge!

Edit I think I've posted about this one before actually. Here's a pic from last yr