# Cleaning the shower screen on a la Pav



## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

So, prior to this I had an e-61 machine. So, every week I would take the shower screen and gasket off, clean them and the group, and pop it back in. Simple.

How do you do that with the La Pav? From what I've been reading in order to get the shower screen off one needs to destroy the gasket as it needs to yanked out with a pick or something.

Is this right? How do you keep it clean?


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

ive done it by holding a cup with puly caf under the group and lifting the lever - ideally a mug tall enough to sit around the group - then leave it for 10 mins

getting the group seal out is a bit of a pita


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Loosen the nut on the top, press the lever down and the piston pushes the shower screen off.. Simples..


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## Batian (Oct 23, 2017)

Rhys said:


> Loosen the nut on the top, press the lever down and the piston pushes the shower screen off.. Simples..


How is the screen replaced?

Is it just a push fit having reset the piston level and locked the top nuts?

Should a new seal always be used if the screen has been removed?

Thank you.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Rhys said:


> Loosen the nut on the top, press the lever down and the piston pushes the shower screen off.. Simples..


Thanks. And when you do that, can you pop it back in again or you need to remove, and likely replace, the gasket too?


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Thanks. And when you do that, can you pop it back in again or you need to remove, and likely replace, the gasket too?


Depends on age of the gasket o ring and if any sign of deformation cracking, it quite straight forward to push back in the groove with something blunt, I would by a new gasket and have it ready


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Same as any showerscreen, just use a portafilter. When I take mine out and put it back in, I feel when the piston is touching then back off slightly and adjust the nuts to that.


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## slamm (Nov 26, 2016)

Rhys said:


> Loosen the nut on the top, press the lever down and the piston pushes the shower screen off.. Simples..


I thought oooh that's clever.. so I tried it and it didn't work. Not on my pre millenium anyway so maybe just the millenium?

For the pre millenium I remove the front pin, take off the nuts on the top and press down hard on the shaft with something like a piece of wood. The screen pops out with a sudden thump as the seal gives way and the wood hits the top of the group, then just push down a bit more using the shaft of a screwdriver across the slot in the group to get it all the way out.


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## slamm (Nov 26, 2016)

Batian said:


> How is the screen replaced?
> 
> Is it just a push fit having reset the piston level and locked the top nuts?





MediumRoastSteam said:


> can you pop it back in again or you need to remove, and likely replace, the gasket too?


Like Rhys I found the easiest way is to use the portafilter to get the shower screen back in. Put the shower screen with the seal fitted into the portafilter holder, then into the group with the handle out the front. Push it up into the group using both hands with thumbs on top of the group on either side and squeeze it evenly all around from below, the screen lifts easily into the group. Best to add a thin smear of silicon grease on the seal to help it and the portafilter sit properly, also helps keep it in good shape. I put a new new seal in around 10 months ago when I first got my machine and its still going strong, after cleaning the group roughly once a week.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Thanks @slamm. When you say "cleaning the group once a week" what's the procedure you perform?


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## slamm (Nov 26, 2016)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Thanks @slamm. When you say "cleaning the group once a week" what's the procedure you perform?


Drop the piston and shaft out of the group and clean the face of the piston with soapy water and plastic scourer. Get all the grime off down to the brass so its nice and shiney (I like shiney but there's probably no real need, just remove the gunk and stale oil smell). Clean the shower screen with soapy water (washing up liquid) and a brush. Clean the seal too but this will still retain the smell of stale coffee oils unless you use something like cafiza. Usually takes about 10 minutes depending on how ocd I'm feeling. Also clean the porta inside with the scourer to clean up the brass surface (maybe newer machines are chrome inside? always thought it was a bit daft leaving it bare brass). Brush around inside the recess for the shower screen (I do this daily). Smear a tiny amount of silicon grease on piston seals when refitting.

Making things easier has made this far less of a chore so I dont mind doing this once a week nowadays. One tip to make getting the front pin off and on easier would be to perhaps look into replacing the pins with clevis type pins with an R clip, available on ebay. I haven't yet, but they should make things easier and less likely to scratch the chrome if using a screwdriver. I use a strong metal twist tie attached to the front circlip which works well for the time being. It just pulls off and I use a small screwdriver in between the twist tie to push back it on so the plastic protects the chrome. Makes it really easy.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Thank you for the detailed info!

I'll order some gaskets just in case and maybe take the opportunity to pimp it with an IMS shower screen


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## slamm (Nov 26, 2016)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Thank you for the detailed info!
> 
> I'll order some gaskets just in case and maybe take the opportunity to pimp it with an IMS shower screen


I'll be interested to see how you get on with the IMS shower screen, I think someone else was going to give it a try a while back but never heard how it went. I read Reiss comment on the new screen for the Londinium referring to the 35 micron ss screen mesh "better at acting as a breakwater to arrest the surge of water into the brew chamber as the rising piston seals clear the inlet port". That makes sense to me, not sure I see the Pavoni one doing this but who knows.


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## Batian (Oct 23, 2017)

This thread could not have come at a better time for me and I am so grateful to all the contributors!

I have recently acquired a 1996 La Pav Pro. Apart from needing a new switch and safety valve drain cup, it is in superb condition. I have yet to find a scratch and live in fear of giving it one! It has been well looked after, to be sure.

Now, with the help of this thread, I have dismantled the group-head. It did not leak under pressure or anything, I just decided to give it a clean and check the seals etc. These seem OK.

In this thread, there is reference to brass pistons.....mine has, what seems to be, a hard plastic one.

Is this normal?

Should I put a new piston on the 'things to do over time list'?

Thanks.


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

Batian said:


> This thread could not have come at a better time for me and I am so grateful to all the contributors!
> 
> I have recently acquired a 1996 La Pav Pro. Apart from needing a new switch and safety valve drain cup, it is in superb condition. I have yet to find a scratch and live in fear of giving it one! It has been well looked after, to be sure.
> 
> ...


Sure I've read elsewhere on the forum that la pav have changed the piston material over the years in a quest for both temp stability & cost effectiveness.


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

ashcroc said:


> Sure I've read elsewhere on the forum that la pav have changed the piston material over the years in a quest for both temp stability & cost effectiveness.


Found the thread I was remembering.


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## slamm (Nov 26, 2016)

Batian said:


> In this thread, there is reference to brass pistons.....mine has, what seems to be, a hard plastic one.
> 
> Is this normal?
> 
> ...


Mine also came with a plastic piston. Its a light beige colour and I think made of Ryton, although Francesco's website says the Pros piston is teflon (looks to be a slightly darker brown) from around '97 so maybe yours is different. The original Pavs started out brass, then plastic and then they went back to brass. The consensus is that the plastic ones don't last and will eventually have to be replaced, and sure enough mine developed a crack after a couple of months so I replaced it with a brass one. They also seem to unscrew themselves more easily than the brass ones.


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## dimoutsa (May 26, 2017)

Hello all!!! I have a one year old europiccola and tried

the method described above, removing the nuts and the front pin and push down, but it didn't budge. Any ideas?


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

dimoutsa said:


> Hello all!!! I have a one year old europiccola and tried
> 
> the method described above, removing the nuts and the front pin and push down, but it didn't budge. Any ideas?


Use a rubber mallet


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## dimoutsa (May 26, 2017)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Use a rubber mallet


Yeah I was thinking that, I was worried I would break anything. I'll give it a go.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

dimoutsa said:


> Yeah I was thinking that, I was worried I would break anything. I'll give it a go.


Go gentle and always support the group as you don't want to stress the group - boiler bolts.

When I did it I was worried, but eventually it came out. After you get that sorted out, make sure you put a very thin smear of food safe silicone grease on the side of the gasket which faces the group, so next time it comes out nicely without the need to resort to a rubber mallet.

Ps: I didn't came up with this solution. It was documented in the ceccarelli's website.


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## dimoutsa (May 26, 2017)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Go gentle and always support the group as you don't want to stress the group - boiler bolts.
> 
> When I did it I was worried, but eventually it came out. After you get that sorted out, make sure you put a very thin smear of food safe silicone grease on the side of the gasket which faces the group, so next time it comes out nicely without the need to resort to a rubber mallet.
> 
> Ps: I didn't came up with this solution. It was documented in the ceccarelli's website.


Cheers!!! It came out fine. Do you use the same kind of lubricant for the shaft?


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

dimoutsa said:


> Cheers!!! It came out fine. Do you use the same kind of lubricant for the shaft?


Yes


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