# Maintainance done!



## profspudhed (Mar 18, 2011)

after getting my mazzer yesterday and grabbing some beans this morn i thought id do a bit of maintainance to see if i cant get the best out of it, id thought the group gasket was dead so i was planning to clean it up until the new one arrives, i got the shower plate off but the block underneath refused to budge no matter what, so i decided to have a look from the top.

on opening the top up i noticed some scale at the back of the boiler, i realised the obvious, that it was infact leaking from the boiler not the group head, so after working up the courage i took the boiler out and got it apart, it was bloody horrible in there, the gasket was crustier than an old sea dog,

  

so i tried scrubbing the metal, which just got me nowhere, i had to scrape a lot off with a butter knife!, eventually i got it looking reasonable and it now seems to be working better than ever. next job is to strip and clean the mazzer and then see what kind of brew i can make.

also i never did manage to shift that block behind the shower plate, does it just pop out or twist or what? i dont want to go all ham fisted on it and end up breaking it


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## DomesticEspresso (Nov 7, 2010)

Yeah i usually just get a long flat headed screwdriver and put it under one edge of the block and lever it out. Even the most stubborn of blocks will come out this way. Also i always use steel wool pads to scrub the barnacles from the block and inner head which works a treat. Any other issues let me know buddy.

Dave


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## Joe Coelho (Jan 2, 2011)

Hi also you if you do get the shower block off, leave it soaking in puly cleaner for 15mins, works a treat!!


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## AndyL (Apr 10, 2011)

I know this is obvious but you did remove the 2 hex bolts from the block. It's just that you didn't mention them.


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## profspudhed (Mar 18, 2011)

yeah i got the bolts out, they came out fairly easily actually it was just welded on with scale, when i tried again it needed a screwdriver in as a lever and a whack with a hammer to break the encrusted seal it had formed, then i had to scrape it clean with wire pads as suggested above and refit it, i didnt do it first time as i wasnt certain that there wasnt something else holding it in that would break if i started hammering, once i knew it should just come off i knew it was safe to crack it off, ive also replaced the brew head gasket and it now makes a cracking brew (although i think my counter is sloped as i get about 5ml less in the left glass than the right despite the flow from the plate being even)


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## AndyL (Apr 10, 2011)

Ah cool, I pretty much did the same thing to my machine after I bought off eBay, although it came apart a lot easier than yours by the sounds of it.

I've also experienced the uneven flow through my PF but it turned out it was my tamping that was to blame. I have better technique now and a more often than not even flow.

Glad you got your machine sorted.

A


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

AndyL said:


> Ah cool, I pretty much did the same thing to my machine after I bought off eBay, although it came apart a lot easier than yours by the sounds of it.
> 
> I've also experienced the uneven flow through my PF but it turned out it was my tamping that was to blame. I have better technique now and a more often than not even flow.


Same with me too, got mine from eBay last week, was caked with 'scale... Cleaned up well and descaled yesterday and now brewing well.

I'm also in Bristol, where in Bristol is Two Day Roasters mate? I live in Bristol and currently have a good source of DJ Miles coffee beans, which makes a nice cup.


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## AndyL (Apr 10, 2011)

Hey Martin, Two Day Roasters is on St Michaels Hill near the hospital. I saw your post re your Gaggia Coffee, mines the Selecta which was a House of Fraser exclusive I believe and looks more like the Classic but doesn't have a 3 way solenoid. Two Day Roaster is a lovely little shop go check it out.

Andy


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

Aaah, lovely. I drive past the BRI & St. Michaels Hill every day to-and-from work. May pop in when i'm due to run out!


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