# So, I just bought my first (and second) Gaggia Classic. The quest for the ultimate build!



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Once upon a time, I was perfectly happy with my Aeropress/moka and then I discovered these forums. I then bought a Sage Smart Grind Pro and secondhand DeLonghi Dedica on fleabay to up my game and keep costs down.

I actually managed to get some decent tasting espresso out of that setup but it was gone within a week as I realised it would be quite limited in capability the more that I read (and therefore limited in appeal to my OCD). The grinder went back to Sage and the Dedica was sold on. Special thanks to to @RossD for introducing more buyers remorse into my original thread regarding the grinder choice! I also did a write up of my research on the entry level Eureka grinders in case anyone is curious about the rationale that led me to my eventual choice.

I have a bit of a connection to Gaggia as I worked for them when I was a student for my first ever job. I was selling their domestic machines in a department store, but back then I didn't even drink coffee. I did have to do barista training though it was a long time ago. That triggered some nostalgia when it came to the GC as a potential candidate.

To further preface, I've always enjoyed tinkering and been quite into PC modding (including watercooling before it went mainstream), guitar modding - once upon a time built an amp with basically no clue what I was doing when I started. The pattern is usually the same - when I begin a project I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing and after suffering a load of anxiety, end up really happy that I bothered to learn and made something more useful for myself.

Many thanks to @Rickv and @smidster09 who sold me their machines in the 'For Sale' section. A friend of mine watched the Hoffman talk about the £250 optimal setup hence why I ended up with 2 units. They are happy to take whatever unit I don't keep with as a stock unit to begin with to keep costs down and explore the benefit of each upgrade themselves (probably more sensible than what I'm about to do!)

The first machine is a 2013 with a @MrShades PID kit preinstalled as well as several upgrades (shower screen, plate wand, etc). It is working nicely and arrived in great condition.

The second machine is a 2003 and stock but with the upgraded steam wand. Unfortunately the postman dropped the 2003 on my driveway from waist height (I mentally backflipped) and in doing so did a bit of damage. The steel top cup holder got a bit bent (you can't see on the picture) and it seems to have made the boiler a bit leaky (getting water around the pf and pretty low pressure at the group. Having said that, I was going to tear it down anyway. It still works so hopefully I can get it back up to fighting fitness.

I was curious about what limit the GC can be taken to in terms of examining the full spectrum of mods and then found the BoostBox by @FairRecycler. I've also been inspired by the builds I've seen from other more experienced members including @Mulligruband @Uncletits. I got talking with Peter, (the creator of the BoostBox) and it turned out that he was looking for testers for a version of his kit that is designed for people who already have a PID. This would add a smart looking enclosure to the lid, a pressure gauge and a dimmer that will lead the machine that I keep to have pretty much the full gamut of upgrades and mods. The only feature that I will miss vs the full BoostBox kit is the ability to temp surf intrashot using the steam switch. While I do have a bit of FOMO about that, my friend didn't want a PID, so it made more sense to use the parts that I already have between the units, as well as try out the beta BoostBox kit!

Given that the 2003 is more vintage and has the heavier gauge steel, bigger solenoid and 1425w boiler vs the 1200w of the 2013 (not sure if the latter thing really makes a difference but it sure sounds better!) I am thinking to keep this one in the end. That does mean having to deinstall the PID from the 2013 and move it over to the 2003 in preparation for testing the Boostbox, at which point I will have to adjust the installation again! (Yeah, I'm really making this easy for myself.)

I will be documenting my journey in this thread, probably having a few anxiety attacks and asking for help.

I spent some time today ordering supplies including a full set of bolts, silicone seals, anti seize, a long allen t bar (praying those boiler bolts don't give me as much grief as some of the horror stories that I have read about) and cleaning products to descale and remove rust.

Currently the 2003 has poor flow at the group and when I tried to pull a shot earlier water ran down the side of the PF so I wonder if the boiler seal failed from the impact.

Here are the machines:


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

First couple of questions to anyone who could help me (much appreciated if so!)

Can anybody help me ID the pump in the 2003? Can't see a label but was hoping it was an Invensys 65w as these seem to be better regarded (as well as play better with dimming) I thought those were stock in this model but looks like I might be wrong. It seems those have a blue plastic housing whereas this is a dull orange. Perhaps the sticker is hiding under the housing!

The connector on top of the pump looks quite corroded and around the base it looks like there are some signs that it may have been leaking previously. Will I need to source a new connector for my restoration operation or would it be sufficient to clean this up and put it back?


----------



## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

I have the same coloured pump in my 2003 Classics. There should be writing on one side of the metal bracket if you remove it from the machine.

Mine is indeed an Invensys 65w pump.


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

ratty said:


> I have the same coloured pump in my 2003 Classics. There should be writing on one side of the metal bracket if you remove it from the machine.
> 
> Mine is indeed an Invensys 65w pump.


 Thanks @ratty!


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Zatogato said:


> Currently the 2003 has poor flow at the group and when I tried to pull a shot earlier water ran down the side of the PF so I wonder if the boiler seal failed from the impact.


 Seems that it was maybe just gunked up. I backflushed it a couple of times and now the flow is looking a lot better at the group.
Now to try and pry that shower screen off!


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

So, I tore it down and the boiler seal had failed as I suspected, so there was no 'pop' but oddly the bolts were not corroded or that difficult to remove. Will still change them anyway and put some anti seize on them as soon my eBay haul arrives though! For now it is time to clean the components.

This is what was waiting for me inside. Any thoughts on the condition of the boiler guys?


----------



## Alfieboy (Dec 26, 2018)

Zatogato said:


> So, I tore it down and the boiler seal had failed as I suspected, so there was no 'pop' but oddly the bolts were not corroded or that difficult to remove. Will still change them anyway and put some anti seize on them as soon my eBay haul arrives though! For now it is time to clean the components.
> 
> This is what was waiting for me inside. Any thoughts on the condition of the boiler guys?
> 
> ...


 Looks not too bad - To clean it I prefer to use mechanical means rather than citric acid - I have some soft wire brushes for my Dremel

Remember to keep the terminals completely away from water

Use some wet and dry on a dead flat surface to give good finish to the mating surface

Strip down the OPV and I use citric on that

Good Luck - they're nice to work on


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Uncletits said:


> Looks not too bad - To clean it I prefer to use mechanical means rather than citric acid - I have some soft wire brushes for my Dremel
> 
> Remember to keep the terminals completely away from water
> 
> ...


 Perfect @Uncletits thank you for the tips. I found a wire brush that was too big so cut it down to be able to fit it inside the tank. I've read about some people getting them wet on the outside and having to risk running them live so keen to avoid anything like that!

Are you concerned that citric acid would be corrosive in this case? I was going to try and use a screwdriver (carefully), brush and citric acid soak. Unfortunately I don't have a dremel.

Fortunately regarding the mating surface, I have a lapping plate which I use for flattening my whetstones (bit of a knife collector) so that will provide a very flat surface for finishing that.

I took a break - one thing I'm struggling with is separating the shower screen from the plate. The Whole Latte Love video I watched showed it easily falling away, but I think mine is basically glued on with coffee! Could I put it in a shallow soak of puly cafe or something to loosen it off or would that be damaging to the group surround somehow?


----------



## Alfieboy (Dec 26, 2018)

Zatogato said:


> Perfect @Uncletits thank you for the tips. I found a wire brush that was too big so cut it down to be able to fit it inside the tank. I've read about some people getting them wet on the outside and having to risk running them live so keen to avoid anything like that!
> 
> Are you concerned that citric acid would be corrosive in this case? I was going to try and use a screwdriver (carefully), brush and citric acid soak. Unfortunately I don't have a dremel.
> 
> ...


 For me the citric does not do enough on the boiler so I use mechanical means

Yes something like that would be okay Did you remove the dispersion plate from the group okay?


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Uncletits said:


> For me the citric does not do enough on the boiler so I use mechanical means
> 
> Yes something like that would be okay Did you remove the dispersion plate from the group okay?


 Ahh I see, makes sense. No I took a break and am back at it now, the shower screen is glued to the dispersion plate. Was thinking to try soaking it shallowly in boiling water to see if I can loosen it off!


----------



## Alfieboy (Dec 26, 2018)

Zatogato said:


> Ahh I see, makes sense. No I took a break and am back at it now, the shower screen is glued to the dispersion plate. Was thinking to try soaking it shallowly in boiling water to see if I can loosen it off!


 That will be fine


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Got the dispersion plate off using the ole boiling water trick again and am currently deep cleaning everything!

I removed the upper part of the pump mounting bracket and it is absolutely covered in rust. The lower part is riveted onto the case. I'm thinking I should remove this in order to get underneath it to clean all the rust out. (Excuse me while I google how to remove rivets!)

From looking at this I would assume that the pump was leaking - would I be looking at a replacement pump or could it be saved? The tubes are filled with gunk so at the least I'll need to clean those out. Feeling a bit grossed out that I drank a shot from this thing!

On top of this, the spot weld at the rear right has in fact failed, so I'll likely need to drill the tabs at the back to add bolts (from what I've read on other threads). Certainly going to be more work than I anticipated! 😵


----------



## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

I've drilled out the rivets with a 3mm drill bit before now.

I then used 3mm stainless flanged nuts and hex head bolts to hold the cleaned up mount in position.

It looks like the pump has been leaking for a long time to rust the mount that much.


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

ratty said:


> I've drilled out the rivets with a 3mm drill bit before now.
> 
> I then used 3mm stainless flanged nuts and hex head bolts to hold the cleaned up mount in position.
> 
> It looks like the pump has been leaking for a long time to rust the mount that much.


 Yeah that's what I thought too re the pump. Figured they would need to be drilled. Will the pump need replacing you reckon? Also would the same size of nuts and bolts be good for reinforcing the rear spot welds? Might as well kill 2 birds while I order more things to add to the 100 eBay parcels arriving tomorrow! Cheers.


----------



## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

Zatogato said:


> Yeah that's what I thought too re the pump. Figured they would need to be drilled. Will the pump need replacing you reckon? Also would at size of nuts and bolts be good for reinforcing the rear spot welds? Might as well kill 2 birds while I order more things to add to the 100 eBay parcels arriving tomorrow! Cheers.


 I would replace the pump considering the fairly low price. Don't forget you will need the old top pump elbow fitting to put on a new pump, use a couple of turns of PTFE on the elbow thread.

I use the same stainless steel 3mm nuts and bolts for the rear spot welds, be careful with the measurements!

Kays, Bolt World and Bolt Base on ebay are all reasonably priced for all bolts; A couple of £'s for the nuts and bolts needed.


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

First service kit arrived with good timing - bought from Simon on eBay through a recommendation from @FairRecycler. The seller was really helpful and these bits are all upgraded to silicone where possible vs the standard GC kit which seems fitting for 'the ultimate build'. 🤣

Also thanks to @Gilly from whom I received a walnut steam knob from today. Looks great with the matching PF and tamp although it is far too early to be thinking about the aesthetics at this point. Good to know it will look tidy when done!


----------



## FairRecycler (Sep 26, 2019)

@Zatogato

By the photos, it wasn't the pump itself, but the top elbow was leaking. According to this - if the coils not shorted yet, that suggests it is still dry inside - I wouldn't replace the pump, until it fails - probably another 5 years of service. I would remove the elbow, clean and as @rattyrecommended add a touch of PTFE tape to the thread (as few turns as possible (1-2), as too much would break the plastic bit upon tightening), and pressure test it on 15 bars. If it stands 15, it'll be trouble free around 9 for years.

When a spotweld fails at the back, I use silicone with good results. Drilling on such plated mild steel chassis will cause more rust as time goes by.


----------



## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

FairRecycler said:


> When a spotweld fails at the back, I use silicone with good results. Drilling on such plated mild steel chassis will cause more rust as time goes by.


 2003 Model is stainless steel not mild steel so there will be minimal corrosion.

The mount for the pump that has corroded is not stainless steel. The staining around the mount will be just that, staining, due to the mount leaching water and corrosion onto the stainless steel and it will wipe off


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Didn't get a chance to work on my project as I was babysitting my niece yesterday but got back on the horse today.

I was a bit nervous as it is my first time drilling metal but thanks to lots of advice it went without a hitch and wasn't very difficult. Got the rivets out and took off that rusty plate. Here's what it looked like underneath. Off to an acid bath it goes!


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Having fallen ill and been laid up for a while, I got back on the case again (wish life would stop getting in the way!)

With no experience in drilling stainless steel and taking a leap of faith - I decided to go for it with repairing the broken spot weld on the 2003 case. I cleaned up the rust from the leaking pump on both the bracket and in the case and then set about drilling some holes.









It was tricky and I managed to break a drill bit in the process. One of my holes wandered lower than I planned due to the drill slipping.









Fortunately @ratty suggested a fix. It will be slightly misaligned on the back, but at least I didn't miss the tab, so it should only a minor cosmetic botch and not overly noticeable at that. I will flat one side of the nut that I'm putting on the right hand side here to allow it to fit. That way it can still be bolted through the misplaced hole. From putting a bolt there, the shelf holds nice and stable so I think it will work.









I also stripped down everything remaining including the OPV and solenoid. I also took the pump apart with the intention of fixing the leaking elbow but in doing so I tore the rubber mount!

Will it need replacing or is it at all possible to glue it back together? I found these replacement parts in case it is essential to replace:

https://www.mrbean2cup.co.uk/gaggia-classic-eaton-pump-support and https://www.theespressoshop.co.uk/en/Gaggia-Classic-Ulka-Pump-Support-OEM---996530056315/m-5197.aspx. I wondered if anyone could advise whether the Ulka one will fit an Invensys pump?









This is the part that tore as I was taking it off.

I've scrubbed the scale out of the boiler and the group head is gleaming clean - it took multiple soaks and using brass wire brush drill bits for lots of manual cleaning.









I should be ready for reassembly tomorrow once I'm done cleaning the fully stripped down parts. All in all it ended up getting messier and more tricky than I planned but I'm definitely learning as I go!

Hopefully I'll be ready for the next stage then. A big thank you to @ratty for helping me out with advice by PM!


----------



## FairRecycler (Sep 26, 2019)

@Zatogato

Both ULKA and Invensys/ARS pumps have same rubber mount size.


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

FairRecycler said:


> @Zatogato
> 
> Both ULKA and Invensys/ARS pumps have same rubber mount size.


 Thanks @FairRecycler. I need to order the top plate but am holding off ordering it in case I end up needing any other parts. I'll glue this one back together with silicone glue for now and if needed will replace it with a new one that I can throw into the same order. Hopefully I can move on to the BoostBox installation shortly (finally!)


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Almost everything is sparkling clean and anything that doesn't have rubber in it has been lovingly bathed in citric acid. Currently in the process of lapping the boiler face which is about as enjoyable as shaving with splintered balsa wood. 🤣 Started with low grit to make it easier at P80, will probably go up to P400 but I have higher grits if that isn't polished enough.

I got tired of having to keep shaking the paper so here is my lapping station with a custom particle removal system (recorded low fps makes the fan look much lower rpm than reality). Since the dust is flying around, it turns out Covid had a micro upshot, as I happened an N95 mask going spare. 🤣 Here is my lapping station:






Also wondered what to do with this little plastic collar here:








If that is acting as a seal of some kind, it would be doing a pretty poor job so would I be better off removing that and replacing with PTFE tape?

My new hinox drill bit (allegedly better than cobalt for drilling stainless) arrived today so I had a go at finishing the hole that wasn't fully done - no joy. I used lubricant and tried a slower speed but I think I might have work hardened the steel. @ratty might need help with this one if you have any get out of jail free cards for this!

Hoping I can finish reassembly today as almost all of the fiddly bits are finished.


----------



## ratty (Sep 22, 2019)

Sorry,

I just use cobalt drill bits and they go blunt after a few holes drilled through. I don't go slowly with 3mm drill bits and use quick bursts, stop let everything cool fully and then go again. It usually takes me around 4 stop and starts to get through the 1.5mm steel.

I leave the weird gasket seal on in the picture, and not had a leak there yet.

ratty


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

ratty said:


> Sorry,
> 
> I just use cobalt drill bits and they go blunt after a few holes drilled through. I don't go slowly with 3mm drill bits and use quick bursts, stop let everything cool fully and then go again. It usually takes me around 4 stop and starts to get through the 1.5mm steel.
> 
> ...


 Cheers Ratty, I might try and sharpen this one or failing that pick up a new cobalt one and hope for the best! The hole is almost done but somehow the last part doesn't want to cut.


----------



## Alfieboy (Dec 26, 2018)

> 4 hours ago, Zatogato said:
> 
> Almost everything is sparkling clean and anything that doesn't have rubber in it has been lovingly bathed in citric acid. Currently in the process of lapping the boiler face which is about as enjoyable as shaving with splintered balsa wood. 🤣 Started with low grit to make it easier at P80, will probably go up to P400 but I have higher grits if that isn't polished enough.
> 
> I got tired of having to keep shaking the paper so here is my lapping station with a custom particle removal system (recorded low fps makes the fan look much lower rpm than reality). Since the dust is flying around, it turns out Covid had a micro upshot, as I happened an N95 mask going spare. 🤣 Here is my lapping station:


 Didn't you wet your wet and dry?


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Uncletits said:


> Didn't you wet your wet and dry?


 Epic fail. I used it dry at first but later I added a bowl of soapy water to proceedings which sped things up. (Don't usually use wet and dry sandpaper so I'll chalk this up as another lesson along with my failure drilling the case)

Is it essential to completely eliminate every last bit of pitting? I've seen conflicting advice on this but have a couple of spots that are very stubborn. Thinking to keep going but just wondered if you guys remove all the material necessary to get the mating surface 'just so'? The area in the upper right of this picture will probably mean having to go a fair amount further if I'm to get that out


----------



## larkim (Sep 3, 2018)

Doesn't the rubber seal under pressure deal with those sorts of imperfections?


----------



## Alfieboy (Dec 26, 2018)

Zatogato said:


> Epic fail. I used it dry at first but later I added a bowl of soapy water to proceedings which sped things up. (Don't usually use wet and dry sandpaper so I'll chalk this up as another lesson along with my failure drilling the case)
> 
> Is it essential to completely eliminate every last bit of pitting? I've seen conflicting advice on this but have a couple of spots that are very stubborn. Thinking to keep going but just wondered if you guys remove all the material necessary to get the mating surface 'just so'? The area in the upper right of this picture will probably mean having to go a fair amount further if I'm to get that out
> 
> View attachment 55926


 No that is very good


----------



## jpd99 (Mar 1, 2021)

Nice job - particularly since a lot of it requires new skills. Let me know if you want a couple of screws for the top rear of the lid and I'll stick them in the post


----------



## DarkShadow (Jan 14, 2021)

Zatogato said:


> Epic fail. I used it dry at first but later I added a bowl of soapy water to proceedings which sped things up. (Don't usually use wet and dry sandpaper so I'll chalk this up as another lesson along with my failure drilling the case)
> 
> Is it essential to completely eliminate every last bit of pitting? I've seen conflicting advice on this but have a couple of spots that are very stubborn. Thinking to keep going but just wondered if you guys remove all the material necessary to get the mating surface 'just so'? The area in the upper right of this picture will probably mean having to go a fair amount further if I'm to get that out
> 
> View attachment 55926


 This looks great. A much more thorough job than I did! Looks like it's coming together well.


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Uncletits said:


> No that is very good


 I remember why I didn't wet the paper - I was following along with this video. This chap seems to be a lot more thorough than is necessary. By contrast in this video he reassembles the boiler having left more pitting than I have. I'll polish it tomorrow and see where I'm at but the pitting is now not possible to feel with my finger so it might be good to go.



larkim said:


> Doesn't the rubber seal under pressure deal with those sorts of imperfections?


 It should do if the latter video above is anything to go by!



jpd99 said:


> Nice job - particularly since a lot of it requires new skills. Let me know if you want a couple of screws for the top rear of the lid and I'll stick them in the post


 Thank you! Let me check if I have suitable ones laying around but I might take you up on that (I'd pay costs of course).

Today I got held up by:



Lapping the boiler plate being slower than planned (my own fault for not wetting the paper).


Grinding the nut turning out to be a PITA as I don't have a circle cutter and struggled to get a grip on it - I feel like I need to invest in a dremel for some of these tasks (edit: just bid on one on eBay!) In the end I made a wooden mount for the nut and went at it with a file while that held it in place. It worked and it's nearly ready to fit the botched hole side.


Failing repeatedly to finish the hole where the alignment is better. I'm through to the metal tab but the new drill bit already seems pretty useless. I will see if I can get it through tomorrow.


That'll be all the more DIY orientated tasks (not my strongsuit) done and then I can concentrate on reassembly! So much for finishing today, but I've cleared tomorrow to get it done. Thanks for the advice and comments everyone!

Re the boiler:

The inside of the boiler looks quite grey and sludgey - I've used a combination of 3 citric acid soaks (1 tbsp/litre for 20 minutes at a time), brass wire brush and brass brush drill bits (different shapes to get in all the nooks). Manual methods definitely worked best as per what @Uncletits said.

It still looks kinda dark grey and sludgey - should I aim to get that pretty clean before reassembly? Was considering going at it with fine sandpaper just to renew the surface inside but again seen quite a lot of comments saying that this is unnecessary. I do want to make sure I get rid of any remnant slurry/corroded aluminium while it's open. I noticed some posts saying citric acid will affect the surface and make it more prone to corrosion in future - especially in soft water areas - I wondered if this is anything to be weary of hence considering to refresh the surface... (Might suck it up and buy a Dremel for my toolbox at this rate).


----------



## jpd99 (Mar 1, 2021)

Zatogato said:


> Let me check if I have suitable ones laying around but I might take you up on that (I'd pay costs of course).


 No need - PM an address if you need some and I'll post


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Updates:



I finally had a successful attempt at getting that second hole sorted - hinox drill bit and using a different drill did the trick.


Filed down a bolt to fit the botched hole - it worked a treat and once I screwed in a bolt, the shelf turned out to be level and doesn't budge at all - my OCD doesn't love it, but it is actually quite hard to notice when you're looking from the outside of the case - a couple of mm out of alignment 🤷‍♂️ - shown a pic of this on the last part of the before/after compilation below (by this point I had already begun teardown of the 2013 unit so you can see the group from that in the reflection! 😀


Finished the boiler lapping - probably went further than needed as the picture doesn't show the final polish that I put on it.


Repaired the rubber pump mount that tore (earlier in thread) with some food grade silicone adhesive. In a moment of stupidity I hadn't thought about the fact that the purpose of this is not to act as a seal to anything but to stand the pump up and absorb some of those noisy vibrations! Seemed like a waste of money to replace it vs fixing it. The 'teeth' of the tear fit perfectly back together so it's hard to tell it even broke. Perhaps the silicone can be called a mod in case it helps dampen the vibrations even more. 🤣










So that meant all the manual labour DIY type challenges were out of the way (not my strongsuit as per earlier in the thread!)

That left me free to reassemble. I did a full set of eBay seals (well, apart from the OPV o ring and it doesn't seem common that people change the plunger in this). During the extended teardown/doing the seals I discovered that the pump didn't have a top o ring!

I put one in from my kit as well as applied 2 wraps of PTFE tape for good measure. Went pretty quickly as now it was just about connecting everything back up (PC modding experience probably made this seem easier).









You can see from the bottom right picture that I cleaned this well enough to be able to eat from the inside of it!









Reassembled and ready to test. I was slightly paranoid about the electrical aspect so double checked the plug wiring and made sure I'd connected the earth etc and then recorded a test run where I primed the boiler.






Success! No signs of any leaks inside (and I didn't die!) I ran it again and checked the flow at the group which was great and still no leaks. I was so sure it wasn't going to work first try or that something would go wrong that it was actually a nice surprise that everything was working. Pump appears to be completely fine and just needed its o ring (and maybe that PTFE tape for reinforcement!)

Currently I have stripped down the 2013 in preparation for service and removed the PID and have begun transplanting it into the 2003.

In the process of restoring the 2003 unit I fell in love with it. Not sure whether it is:



The 1425w sticker (that apparently makes no difference since the wattage changed for regulations sake and it'd perform exactly the same).


The Made in Italy sticker (just sounds good!)


The heavier gauge steel (actually this does feel a lot more sturdy)


The better parts such as the Olab solenoid (ok, better parts seems legitimate!)


Any metallurgists amongst us, are there any contraindications to the 2003 vs a 2013 unit from a safety perspective? I notice the 2003 back of the group (the side where it meets the boiler) has completely lost it's plating revealing a coppery coloured sort of surface underneath. Is that brass and is there any chance of it leaching lead? Just wondered if that coating is important in any sense. I'm not concerned about aluminium but wondered why they moved away from brass looking stuff - whether it was cost cutting or to improve safety or some combination thereof (Solenoid/OPV parts that meet the group etc) or if the materials changed overall through the years for either reason. Overall, whatever the case I'm sure the toxicity would be negligible so I'm not overly worried but it is still interesting to know.

Hopefully I finish getting the PID reinstalled in the 2003 and can get the BoostBox installation underway (I feel like I keep saying that but this time I'm serious!)


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Hey guys, overdue some updates as a lot has transpired!

My new (ok secondhand) Dremel arrived so I had another crack at cleaning the boiler and used brass brush attachments to much greater effect. The boiler had a renewed surface inside once done with the final bits of scale gone and the aluminium sludge cleaned out way easier. This is so much more effective than using acid that in all honesty I would just start here as @Uncletits was absolutely right that mechanical cleaning is far more effective.









Once that was done, I set about transplanting the PID from the 2013 into the 2003 unit. Thankfully everything about the PID installation was completely reversible and mostly a case of undoing the connections and removing everything from the 2013 unit. Making it reversible was very thoughtful by it's creator @MrShadesand made life much easier than needing to get the soldering iron out or something akin to that (I wasn't sure what to expect at first).









Here is the unit with the transplanted PID about to undergo some testing. I checked my connections about 300 times and everything worked first try. I discovered some mistakes in the PID settings while going back through the initial setup procedures so I went back to @MrShades suggested values.

With the PID fully operational it was time to finally get the BoostBox installation done.









This is the beta kit for the BoostBox as @FairRecycler was looking for testers to attempt installation of the version of his BoostBox kit for installations where there is already a PID in place. It is worth mentioning that his full kit (with his PID setup) is different and allows an additional feature for intrashot temperature surfing with the steam rocker. Since I already had a PID and there was the opportunity to try out the beta kit, I opted to go this route and forgo this feature but it is certainly an interesting addition.

I found the installation very therapeutic, but I might be a bit of a weirdo in that regard! 🤣









Adding more wires definitely felt like the ardent pursuit of the ultimate build in any case. There are a couple of bits that were tricky and require a bit of finesse (positioning the water tank LED for example). I don't have the hands of a surgeon but it was all quite doable and I must credit the quality and level of detail of the instructions provided in order to make it possible for an amateur with no experience of espresso machines to get to grips with everything. Also the level of detail and thought that has gone into each and every feature is very impressive!

The testing all worked straight away and then it was time to recalibrate the OPV. I got some great advice from @FairRecycler which helped me to plan ahead for tuning the dimmer to capture the range of pressure that was ideal for me (just over 10 bar on max and easy control from 0 to that.)


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

After I had indulged my OCD and tidied every last cable neatly into the cutouts of the BoostBox insulation, I installed the lid and all was finally done.

I am planning to make some cosmetic upgrades including a front panel in walnut and a replacement dimmer knob to match the wood of (well, just about everything else as per second picture!) I am also going to replace the cup holder metal top plate. It got bent in transit on this machine so it has been hammered straight.

With everything done, the only thing that remained was to take her for a test run. (I say that like it was one, but I spent the entire morning practicing pulling shots!) To anybody considering a dimmer I cannot recommend it enough. Having control of preinfusion and being able to dynamically control the pressure has meant that every shot I pull now has a consistent rat tail and more importantly huge improvement in flavour! I will make a video of my current process but I am extremely happy with the results I've been getting. Having said that I did change a lot of variables at once including temperature so it will be a while before I can more accurately describe how each variable affects the result.

The shot pictured was from the cheapest beans from the Coop (just because I didn't want to waste my good beans while testing various parameters). Pulling a good shot at the right temperature and pressure has honestly meant that I've had better tasting coffee from my crappy beans than the ones I bought from a proper roastery (I live around the corner from one!) Quite excited to see how far I can go with the setup I have now. I think in all honesty it could probably give machines that are a lot more expensive a run for their money with the ability to pressure profile on top of the additional temperature stability of the PID.

Now that the PID is well trained I'm getting about 4 deg temp swing but that is apparently close to ideal for many situations anyway (apparently many HX machines try and recreate this swing even though they could offer greater stability).

All that remains is to thank the many people who helped me along the way - in no particular order:

@ratty giving me amazingly detailed advice about many niggles - particularly with the DIY bits that I struggled with.

@RossD for being a sounding board for my perpetual indecision.

@Uncletits and @Mulligrub for contributing to the thread and encouraging me to try this project and ask for help where needed.

@DarkShadow for some great discussions on getting the most for your money in the coffee game!

@Gilly for encouragement, tips and for the walnut steam knob upgrade pictured (available here).

@MrShades for helpful advice on my questions about reversing the installation of the PID (and helping convince me to keep the 2003!) Despite the pain of repairing the broken weld (earlier in the thread), the additional sturdiness you feel when locking the PF is worth it alone!

@FairRecycler for supporting me with the installation of what can only be described as a phenomenal piece of kit. I think a GC with the added utility of the Boostbox represents by far the best value for money you can get without spending a huge amount on equipment. The video instructions were a huge help with the fiddly bits but if you are methodical and follow the instructions properly, it is all totally doable.

I also picked up a few of @MildredM's towels which are great (one with the Gaggia logo is in the corner of the pic - at least the label is!)

All in all I feel like I invoked the power of the forum to get me to the point I am which I'm really happy with!

Unfortunately I cracked one of the steam wands (hairline near the nozzle) so I stole the one from the spare machine. This does present a good excuse to order a V3 from Ferrari as they offer a tube kit which seems like it eliminates the difficulties of making the standard V3 fit to the copper tube. I would probably stick with the V2 if not for the breakage as the actual steaming gains are probably marginal - but hey, it's easier to clean and that is in keeping with 'the Ultimate Build!'.

As an added bonus, when the pump is dimmed to lower pressures, it is super quiet!

I will post new pics with the V3 wand and additional walnut detailing when it's ready. Oh and there is the small matter of finishing the restoration of the (now stock) 2013 unit!


----------



## Alfieboy (Dec 26, 2018)

Great Work @Zatogato


----------



## Rickv (Nov 18, 2019)

Good work. Is that the time more magic cube portafilter stand?


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

Rickv said:


> Good work. Is that the time more magic cube portafilter stand?


 It is and I love it! Felt a bit gimmicky when I ordered it, but it actually serves me way better than a fork as I can dose directly into pf on the scale. It's even designed so that you can tamp on it.

My grinder fork didn't arrive so I just cancelled my order for that as I prefer this setup for my workflow. I set the grinder so that timer variance puts me at ~18g and if I undershoot I just pulse a little more in


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

So, the V3 kit from Ferrari Espresso is ordered as is a new stainless top plate to get rid of the damaged one.

Just debating whether to go with the teflon pipe and angled bracket in their kit or whether to attempt to bend the existing pipe as many others have!

Thinking to attempt it with the solid pipe as logically that seems like it would have better heat retention and longevity - if I failed I could then go with the bits in the kit.

The only down side is if I manage to ruin the pipe there wouldn't be scope to go back to V2 should it be needed as that part seems difficult to get hold of as it has been discontinued.


----------



## DarkShadow (Jan 14, 2021)

Mammoth of an effort, that should be good for a long time of hassle-free coffee. Kudos!


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

DarkShadow said:


> Mammoth of an effort, that should be good for a long time of hassle-free coffee. Kudos!


 How to make your perfect coffee in 759 easy steps! 🤣


----------



## coffeedeans (Aug 31, 2021)

This was an enjoyable read over the morning coffee 😂 big respect to the effort mate.

I've just picked up my first new (old) Classic, a 2006. Completely unmodified, but also completely not been cleaned in god knows how long. Once my haul of mods and cleaning products have been delivered I'll set about it but many thank for a thorough posting of your process. Will definitely be referring back when I see what lurks beneath the lid on mine.


----------



## Zatogato (Feb 27, 2021)

coffeedeans said:


> This was an enjoyable read over the morning coffee 😂 big respect to the effort mate.
> 
> I've just picked up my first new (old) Classic, a 2006. Completely unmodified, but also completely not been cleaned in god knows how long. Once my haul of mods and cleaning products have been delivered I'll set about it but many thank for a thorough posting of your process. Will definitely be referring back when I see what lurks beneath the lid on mine.


 They are an absolute gem. With enough effort, you'll be amazed at how well they can perform against machines that cost 5-10x the price! PM if you need any help.


----------

