# Group head well and truly stuck



## CrystalSurfer

OK, so I bought a second-hand Classic for a bargain price.

Read everything I could on how to clean it out (this is a great forum!) and ordered new shower and seal.

When it arrived, my suspicions were right - it didn't look like it had been looked after. I removed the shower to reveal that it was completely calcified up. No coffee was going to get through there!

So removed the head screws but I couldn't prise out the group head. The seal felt rock hard.

So after many de-scaling flushes and turning it upside down to let the de-scaler do its work around the exterior of the head, I still couldn't remove it.

OK, it needed a bit more leverage I thought. I took the entire boiler out. Sat it in descaler for a few hours as I noticed the seams were encrusted.

Then, put it in my bench vice and gently tapped the group head trying to get it out.

It wasn't budging.

OK, maybe open up the boiler to see the condition inside and see if I could knock out the head from inside.

First screw head sheared straight off.

Oops.

OK, put it back together and flush it through more times. Am getting a charcoal grey sediment.

Now I'm getting desperate.

Still no joy.

Now what to do?

The head and seal now have some extra 'character ' dents and punctures. I had wondered if it was capable of making coffee but I think that would just be a waste of nice beans!

Any suggestions gratefully received.









Jules


----------



## Charliej

So you still haven't been able to remove the dispersion plate? and which screw heads have you sheared? this information will help in suggesting a solution to you, did you clean the boiler out while you had it split?


----------



## CrystalSurfer

Yes, the dispertion plate is immovable (with both screws out). I've tried levering it out with a flathead screwdriver but all I managed to do was damage the seal. Then I tried tapping it with a hammer(!) but the damn thing is rock solid. Am I missing something here?

I wasn't able to open up the boiler because the (hex) screw that sheared was the one of four that look like they bolt the bottom section to it.

Unfortunately I don't have the tools to drill it out.

Thanks,

J


----------



## Charliej

OK well the best advice I can offer you regarding the shower pate is to get hold of a screw/bolt at least 2" long of the same size as the shower screen one and with the screen off and the dispersion plate bolts undone gently screw the longer screw into the shower screen hole and keep going, it will eventually release the plate. Once released don't put the plate in puly caff or cafiza or any other espresso machine cleaner to clean it, it will just turn black if you do. The best thing I found for cleaning these is Fairy Powerspray, put the plate in a small bowl or ramekin then spray it all over with the Powerspray and leave for 15-30 minutes, you may also need some steel wool or a brillo pad in addition to a scouring pad.


----------



## gaggiamanualservice.com

take the shower disc screw to hardware store and get long screw with same thread, clean is easy, put rotary wire brush on drill and it comes up like new


----------



## CrystalSurfer

Thanks for your suggestions guys. Will let you know how I get on!


----------



## CrystalSurfer

Worked a treat!

Although the plate is looking worse for wear with the rim bent, dented and chipped in places. The screen doesn't appear to snugly fit into the plate - I'm guessing it should do, within the rim of the plate?

I've added myself to the brass dispersion plate order list Charlie - I hope its not too late? - thank you.

Thanks so much for the advice guys.

I am now making my first espressos. Let the taste adventures begin!


----------



## irishcoffee42

Glad to find this thread on here - I couldn't budge my dispersion plate today for neither love nor money. The morning will comprise of scouring the local hardware shops for a 2" long M5 screw. Thank you yet again, Coffeforums.co.uk!


----------



## jt4242

Thank goodness I found this solution! We had been hacking away for hours on a very dried-out gasket (10 year untouched Gaggia in shocking condition). It doesn't help that it's so hard to get at the gasket but with the dispersion plate still in, it made everything almost impossible.

So I searched and found this page and went and bought a longer screw and miraculously the plate came out. Still some hacking but with fuller access got the petrified rubber gasket out in a about a half hour.

THANK YOU!!!


----------



## MildredM

^^^ It's great hearing those earlier posts helped you. Thanks for letting us know


----------



## Paper Lawyer

Charliej said:


> OK well the best advice I can offer you regarding the shower pate is to get hold of a screw/bolt at least 2" long of the same size as the shower screen one and with the screen off and the dispersion plate bolts undone gently screw the longer screw into the shower screen hole and keep going, it will eventually release the plate. Once released don't put the plate in puly caff or cafiza or any other espresso machine cleaner to clean it, it will just turn black if you do. The best thing I found for cleaning these is Fairy Powerspray, put the plate in a small bowl or ramekin then spray it all over with the Powerspray and leave for 15-30 minutes, you may also need some steel wool or a brillo pad in addition to a scouring pad.


 Really appreciated these tips for removing the dispersion plate on my Gaggia yesterday - off in no time at all and out with the brillo pad to clean it up!


----------



## stevetheindian

FWIW, I found the "longer screw" tip here super helpful! After searching online and finding that the screw has a "M5-.8" thread, I went to my local Home Depot here in the U.S. and found a drawer in in the screw aisle labeled "METRIC - M5-.8" with a picture of Phillips head screws. For me, the 30mm length worked a treat, longer lengths will also be just fine. About $1.50 for 2 screws at the time of writing.


----------



## bowerfield

Wanted to say thanks to everyone on this thread, it's allowed me to free an incredibly grimy dispersion plate!

I turned the whole machine upside down, left the plate to soak in Pulycaff + water for about an hour.

Then used a 20mm M5 screw from screwfix:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-cap-head-socket-screws-a2-stainless-steel-m5-x-20mm-50-pack/1941t

This threaded into the center hole on the plate and lifted it easily.

Time for a lot more cleaning, this machine has been used in a hard water area for years!


----------



## stevetheindian

What a fantastic post! A 50mm M5-0.8 screw ($0.65) helped me easily remove my dispersion plate when everything else failed. The screw was such a simple, effective fix that I think they should provide such a screw in every gaggia classic box! Thank you all


----------



## Effee

I just bought a second hand 2007 Gaggia Classic.

Besides needing some new seals and stuff like that,

the shower plate needs a good clean but I can't even get it out, as one of the hex bolts has lost the hex shape and the allen key just turns inside it without any effect.

The only solution I can think of is to get a new group head altogether but I can't find one.

Any thoughts?


----------



## Alfieboy

Effee said:


> I just bought a second hand 2007 Gaggia Classic.
> 
> Besides needing some new seals and stuff like that,
> 
> the shower plate needs a good clean but I can't even get it out, as one of the hex bolts has lost the hex shape and the allen key just turns inside it without any effect.
> 
> The only solution I can think of is to get a new group head altogether but I can't find one.
> 
> Any thoughts?


 Destroy an old Torx bit - one you need to hit into the bolt head


----------



## MartinB

Yes, I agree with the Torx/spline socket approach. If all fails I probably have a spare group head @Effee


----------



## Effee

So just hit on the existing allen bolt?

@MartinB I might be better off with a new group head. Can you message me details?


----------



## El carajillo

Effee said:


> So just hit on the existing allen bolt?
> 
> @MartinB I might be better off with a new group head. Can you message me details?


 You will still need to get the bolts out to reuse the boiler ?


----------



## Alfieboy

Effee said:


> So just hit on the existing allen bolt?
> 
> @MartinB I might be better off with a new group head. Can you message me details?
> 
> Presuming you are miles away from anyone who can help?
> 
> Neil


----------



## Phillbies

Thanks, this was a big help to me. The boiler on my old classic is just about gone and I was contemplating whether to get a new classic pro instead of fixing it. But I walked into the rubbish room of my apartment and someone had dumped a fairly recent classic in generally much better condition than mine but looks like it hadn't been cleaned in it's whole life. When I plugged it in it worked fine, all lights one, heated up steamed ok but no water through the screen.

I stripped it down, descaled the boiler and solenoid but couldn't get off the screen plate. I put it back together and still couldn't get water through the screen and had no idea how to get the plate off. The gasket was baked on solid too. This post was great. Had an M5 in my kit and got the plate off in a minute and then the gasket out more easily. Had to replace the gasket of course but got me a new machine for $10.

I'll just swap the Rancilio steam wand over from mine and maybe replace the boiler before I sell it off or give it to a friend.


----------

