# Iberital MC2 Hopper loose?



## hammertoe (Dec 15, 2015)

Hi All,

I just bought a 2nd hand Iberital MC2. I know it is not the ultimate grinder, but for the price seemed pretty good. Anyway, I'm wondering if I'm missing a part or something. The hopper seems extremely loose and just moved about on top of the grinder. The grinder itself seems very loose on the base (I'm guessing maybe tightening the screws on the bottom, or replacing the base with something more solid might help).

See this vid of the hopper wobbling... is this expected?!

https://vid.me/R7HA

Thanks

-Matt


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Something wrong there, should not wobble like that.

Open it up and check all screws, never really opened mine up so cant really help anymore than that.


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## GlennV (Mar 29, 2013)

That's not good. It can move a bit, but that looks like too much. Unplug it and take the hopper off - the internal part the hopper pushes in to (which is the outer burr carrier) should hardly move at all. If it does then it won't grind well.


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## hammertoe (Dec 15, 2015)

The thing is I don't see any screws that would affect the hopper... it just seems like the hopper is just slightly too narrow for the collar in the top of the machine. I'm thinking perhaps wrapping some electrical tape around it might make it fit a bit more snug.

As for the base, I've noticed there is a missing rubber foot at the back, which is what is causing the base to flex. Wedging a folder paper napkin underneath it seems to sort it. I might try screwing it down to a piece of wood instead. The plastic base is certainly not anything special to look at









Also, damn, this grinder is noisy! I'd seem some reports of it being noisy, but wasn't quite expecting that loud. I have a Graef grinder (also badged as Sunbeam I think). Which is much better made. Just the grind isn't that consistent as the burrs are not held as solidly as on the MC2.

-Matt


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Very odd. The black top plate can just be squeezed until the lugs disengage from the steel sides and then prised off, and from there you can see everything that makes these grinders up. Assuming the hopper itself isn't broken then something inside is either broken, displaced or missing. If you're lucky it might be just that a screw has come out somewhere and the mechanism is loose. Otherwise I'd be onto the seller saying he sent you it broken.

I can't say for sure cos it's not my company but I know Scott at Happy Donkey has/had bits for these that he's cannibalised from old ones, and he may be able to help. I'm going back a few years now though but might be worth a call if you can't solve it yourself.


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## hammertoe (Dec 15, 2015)

GlennV said:


> That's not good. It can move a bit, but that looks like too much. Unplug it and take the hopper off - the internal part the hopper pushes in to (which is the outer burr carrier) should hardly move at all. If it does then it won't grind well.


Everything seems pretty solid inside. Nothing moving. Here is a photo of inside. It just seems the neck of the plastic hopper is just slightly too narrow.

  

-Matt


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Unplugged! stick your finger in the top with hopper removed, anything moving in terms of the black cover/burrs?

Is the black base plate moving also?


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Odder and odder. And it's definitely got the right hopper, so it should be a snug fit. Can't understand how it could be that loose if everything else is ok. You might just have to put some tape round the bottom of the hopper but I'm puzzled as to why. Unless the bottom of the hopper tube was cracked and they cut it off to disguise the crack and now it won't go far enough in?


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## hammertoe (Dec 15, 2015)

hotmetal said:


> Odder and odder. And it's definitely got the right hopper, so it should be a snug fit. Can't understand how it could be that loose if everything else is ok. You might just have to put some tape round the bottom of the hopper but I'm puzzled as to why. Unless the bottom of the hopper tube was cracked and they cut it off to disguise the crack and now it won't go far enough in?


No, it seems to go in far enough... perhaps too far. The bottom of the hopper neck appears to rest on the top of the metal burrs. I can't be sure as you can't see it when it is in, but looks like it might do.

It seems to be grinding well. I'm just trying to get it dialed in now. Seems pretty good, the timer seems to be set very long though, so need to adjust that although running low on beans at the moment. Seems quite a messy grinder to use. I seem to be getting grinds everywhere. I think I'll need to invest in a funnel for the top of my basket when filling.

-Matt


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## hammertoe (Dec 15, 2015)

froggystyle said:


> Unplugged! stick your finger in the top with hopper removed, anything moving in terms of the black cover/burrs?
> 
> Is the black base plate moving also?


Everything seems pretty solid. Nothing moving inside with the burrs or the carrier.

Yes the black base plate is moving too, but that seems to be due to a missing rubber foot at the back of the grinder so the plastic is flexing causing the whole grinder to move. I think I'll replace the plastic base with a nice piece of wood and screw it down to that.

Are there any mods to quieten it down a bit?... is very noisy.

-Matt


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Remove the hopper, then squeeze the plastic cover near the adjuster knob and the opposite side, this will release the small indent on the cover then just lift the side by the adjuster and it will lift off (the cover is slotted and will pass over the adjuster, Take another photo of the burr carrier and the "worm drive" which operates the adjustment, this will give us a better Idea.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

In that photo there is a screw in the neck, should that be there, i dont recall having one in mine?


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

The later models have a lead weight in the base to give more stability, it should be held in place with a self tapping screw. Take care if you turn it upside down as if the screw is loose /missing , the weight can drop down and damage the timer adjuster !!!


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

froggystyle said:


> In that photo there is a screw in the neck, should that be there, i dont recall having one in mine?


No it should not have screw !!!


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I didn't spot that. You'd think that would make it even tighter. Something definitely amiss with this example. Has been messed about with.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Im putting my money on someone breaking something on the top under the black lid, they can be tricky to get off so guessing they got a bit tough with it, screw has been put in to try and hold it all together (Fail).

Get the black lid off, may need to remove the screw first and see what is happening under, bet its not good.


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## GlennV (Mar 29, 2013)

hammertoe said:


> Are there any mods to quieten it down a bit?... is very noisy.
> 
> -Matt


None that I've seen - they are noisy, messy and slow I'm afraid. They do grind very well for the price though (secondhand) if they're not knackered. Ways that they can be knackered:

1) worn burrs - they are small and don't last for ever (mine needed new ones when I got it).

2) worn threads - a little bit of movement (with the worm drive removed) is inevitable, and can be removed with a couple of turns of thin ptfe tape, any more will result in inconsistent grinds.

3) worn bearings - if you can detect any sideways movement at all of the inner burr then that's too much.


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## hammertoe (Dec 15, 2015)

froggystyle said:


> In that photo there is a screw in the neck, should that be there, i dont recall having one in mine?


No, that is not a screw. That is just the light catching on a small burr on the inside of the neck from where the plastic has been moulded.

-Matt


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## hammertoe (Dec 15, 2015)

froggystyle said:


> Im putting my money on someone breaking something on the top under the black lid, they can be tricky to get off so guessing they got a bit tough with it, screw has been put in to try and hold it all together (Fail).
> 
> Get the black lid off, may need to remove the screw first and see what is happening under, bet its not good.


I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but all looks pretty good to me. Nothing loose or obviously worn as far as I can see.

  

  

  

-Matt


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## hammertoe (Dec 15, 2015)

It looks like pretty much the entire mechanism is fairly self contained and secured to that horizontal plastic plate that is screwed to the case by a screw in each corner. So I'm actually tempted to dismantle it further and take the entire mechanism out of the case and make up a nice wooden case for it and mount it in that. Looks like it would be easy enough, all the switches are on cables and just attached to the case by screws/rivets.

-Matt


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## GlennV (Mar 29, 2013)

hammertoe said:


> It looks like pretty much the entire mechanism is fairly self contained and secured to that horizontal plastic plate that is screwed to the case by a screw in each corner. So I'm actually tempted to dismantle it further and take the entire mechanism out of the case and make up a nice wooden case for it and mount it in that. Looks like it would be easy enough, all the switches are on cables and just attached to the case by screws/rivets.
> 
> -Matt


Sounds good. I think it's the little epicyclic gearbox that makes most of the noise.

This is how I adjust mine btw, in case you want to design in something similar. The easily removable screw makes it quick to adjust, by swinging the worm drive out of the way and rotating the carrier directly. Never run the grinder without the worm drive engaged though!


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## StuartS (Jan 2, 2015)

I tried a few things to quieten mine down but the improvement was hardly worth it. Its just plain noisy due to high motor speed.

the hopper is generally a good fit. The hopper sometimes has a scale on it and as the top burr carrier moves, it takes the hopper with it and the scale moves to give an indication of the adjustment.

I ended up putting some tape round the bottom to make it a bit tighter.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Have you tried the hopper in the upper burr carrier (black disc with teeth) it should be a firm press in fit and should not wobble. Check the spigot on the bottom of the hopper for damage / wear. ( cannot really see why there should be )

While at this stage , it would be worth removing the top burr carrier and cleaning the lower burr and surroundings.

Mark one of the black pillars on the worm adjuster with a coloured marker and also the burr carrier adjacent to it. Release the two screws and lift off the worm adjuster.

NOW wind down the carrier by hand until it gently touches the lower burr and NOTE the position of the pen mark (probably about 90 degs from original position)

. From here you will know how far back you need to adjust it after dissasembly and cleaning. NOW completely unscrew the burr carrier and clean the lower burr and housing.

To reassemble wind down carrier until it touches then back off until it lines up with the mark on the worm post.


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## StuartS (Jan 2, 2015)

As mentioned before, make sure the grinder is unplugged if you are doing any adjustments etc with the worm drive out of position, just in case the top burr catches something - it can jam the grinder.


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## GlennV (Mar 29, 2013)

My memory's playing tricks on me. Not that it matters, but it's an offset motor with a pair of helical cut gears (for a 15:1 reduction) not an epicyclic as I said above. As StuartS says, the noise is due to the high speed (commutated) motor.


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