# Gaggia Classic Rancilio Steam V3 Wand Upgrade from Ferrari Espresso



## Agentb (Feb 11, 2017)

I've been not best pleased with my milk frothing, and to get it right on a classic requires a bit of concentration, and some i have had the Rancilio v2 style (may have been a clone) for over a year and tried a single hole and then three hole tips and it was always easy to over froth and not enough swirl action to fix. The hex nut and pipe is hard to wipe clean, and it sounds funny but "angle matters"

The PID helps a lot with steam power, but still it's not easy.

I'm 99% making just a single flat white / latte. So the idea of a more magic wand has been around a while.

This thread Gaggia Classic Rancilio Silvia V3 Steam wand upgrade with pics has been on my radar, as has these two possibilities

Gaggia Deco Steam tube

and the new Gaggia has a revised wand but couldn't find the part number...

These both seemed easy, but neither looked as good as the V3 which was now in stock as a kit here https://www.ferrari-espresso.com/product/gaggia-pre-2015-rancilio-steam-wand-v3-conversion-kit/

Well it arrived with no instructions, but fairly obvious what was needed... yeah well a few coffee free hours - later this is what happened



Usual hex socketing and spannering to remove boiler and group head - be careful around the steam valve with spanners, the steam tube fitting and the boiler heater element are close together and the element is soft and easily broken.


Tape cables out the way


Grind the steam hole larger (i used a dremel) as it needs to be about 1-2mm wider, remove sharp edges.


Move the rubber boot down the tube to make it easier to take in and out


6mm drill two hole (for the 5mm bolts) - Gaggia Stainless steel is tough stuff, i needed to start a pilot hole with the dremel before getting the usual electric drill on it. This takes longer than you think... and check twice you have the holes in the right spot.


PTFE taping and plumbing an O-ring gasket as it leaked a few drops (probably PTFE world be sufficient but i had an o-ring.)


waving little magnet for collecting filings on the end of a screwdriver


Reassemble, a cable tie to keep the plumbing in the right place


Flush it


Make coffee


OK a bit harder than i thought.

Only had two lattes today, and first thing is wand tip is lower, so i may have to raise the Gaggia with a tile, or position things differently.

It does froth easier, it has a solid feel rather than a skinny straw - and getting that chirp chirp sound is much easier and both times looked better than the average.

Cleaning now just a quick wipe with an MM towel.

So fairly happy.














































I'll add a coffee picture later. :good: ?


----------



## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

Agentb said:


> I've been not best pleased with my milk frothing, and to get it right on a classic requires a bit of concentration, and some i have had the Rancilio v2 style (may have been a clone) for over a year and tried a single hole and then three hole tips and it was always easy to over froth and not enough swirl action to fix. The hex nut and pipe is hard to wipe clean, and it sounds funny but "angle matters"
> The PID helps a lot with steam power, but still it's not easy.
> I'm 99% making just a single flat white / latte. So the idea of a more magic wand has been around a while.
> This thread Gaggia Classic Rancilio Silvia V3 Steam wand upgrade with pics has been on my radar, as has these two possibilities
> ...


One of those under machine knock boxes could be good to gain height.


----------



## Agentb (Feb 11, 2017)

ashcroc said:


> One of those under machine knock boxes could be good to gain height.


 That is a good idea, i was thinking about getting some extra large rubber feet, and use the gap to slide the scales under...

Why is it that one upgrade just leads to another ... ?


----------



## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

Agentb said:


> That is a good idea, i was thinking about getting some extra large rubber feet, and use the gap to slide the scales under...
> Why is it that one upgrade just leads to another ...


You could always use it as a draw to keep your tools in (or get one of those under monitor drawers).


----------



## Agentb (Feb 11, 2017)

ashcroc said:


> You could always use it as a draw to keep your tools in (or get one of those under monitor drawers).


 LOL I'd need a step ladder mod to reach the PF if the draw had all the tools you need.


----------



## Badgerman (Nov 23, 2017)

Did you find it dripped more than v2. My v3 on closing the valve takes 5 seconds ot more to stop steaming. Slightly annoying having a delay to drop the jug and cause big bubbles.


----------



## Agentb (Feb 11, 2017)

Just as sure as night follows day, all Gaggia wands leak, the problem is the valve not the wand.

As time goes by it just gets worse, it improves a bit when i descale / clean.

If anything i'd say the v3 was less drippy when cold, but that might be because the v3 wand has an uphill section which means there is teeny bit more back pressure to overcome when cold as there is some steam condensing in the wand. This obviously doesn't work when steaming.

I notice it more when steaming because the v3 wand tip is lower than v2, so you can't drop the milk away as fast and as far, and you need a bit of a technique or lift the Gaggia up a half inch or so.

hth :good:


----------



## Agentb (Feb 11, 2017)

.. decided a quick swap out of the steam valve as it was starting to be a very leaky thing - i'd been meaning to do it for 6 months. (getting it off took a bit of effort...!)

Sod's law... after replacing the red cable started leaking (not the junction).

Pah - back to v2 while i think about my options for the New Year.


----------



## ThePeginator (Dec 17, 2019)

How did this pan out in the end? Would you actually recommend the V3 as an upgrade over the V2? Is it worth the ball ache?

I was considering it and decided to keep it simple and just get the V2 for the time being.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Agentb (Feb 11, 2017)

ThePeginator said:


> How did this pan out in the end? Would you actually recommend the V3 as an upgrade over the V2? Is it worth the ball ache?


 I haven't made any changes so still at v2.

I did stumble across Another way of fitting a Rancilo v3 which might be a bit easier, but might make the wand even lower. It is likely to be worth a punt as i think i just need a brass fitting.

Also I found the Gaggia Pro Wand in the US - 2019 Gaggia wand Whole Latte Love in the US and their video youtube - Gaggia Wand install

Which looks a simpler kit to install - than the Ferrari espresso one here, but you'll need to make the hole bigger. (both in wallet and case bottom)

Worth the pain, i guess it looks better, but i'd put this down the bottom of the mods list if i was starting from scratch. The v2 is so easy and low cost it's a no brainer.


----------



## Rebel (Jan 14, 2020)

I had the V2 wand and consider the V3 a worthwhile upgrade. Because the tip is smooth (vs the nut), it's easier to clean. It's articulated with a ball and socket (Gaggia Pro is not) so you can position the angle the way you want it. And it just looks better than V2.


----------



## CoffeeNinja (Oct 6, 2020)

Just to add to this, I recently installed a V3 wand (upgrade from a V2 in a 2012 model Classic) and my experience was slightly different - I found the steel case fairly easy to punch through with a Dremel only and didn't need to make the steam hole bigger. The whole job was pretty simple apart from the faff of taking the guts out, which is definitely necessary.

The end result is far superior to the V2 in my opinion.


----------

