# Gaggia Paros refurbishment.



## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

Has anyone refurbished a gaggia paros, I know the parts are the same but the layout is quite different to the classic! I'd appreciate the guidance! The internal frame had some surface corrosion from poor powering into the reservoir and a line leak. Also there appears to be a slight leak on the steam wand (which doesn't appear to be the stock part) and there looks like some evidence of a historic leak from the vibration pump? All help welcome!


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

Taking the boiler apart tonight to fully descale too! Although the external area doesn't look too bad!


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

No one able to help?


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Some photographs may help and a fuller explanation of what you want to do / trying to achieve.


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

I'll do that, hopefully it will get some constructive feedback


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## crmdgnly (Apr 12, 2017)

I'm just looking at one now. Very little experience but might be able to share some info.


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## crmdgnly (Apr 12, 2017)

Craigy_bear said:


> I'll do that, hopefully it will get some constructive feedback


Mine is on my desk now without it's cover if there are any comparisons you want to make etc.. It too looks like it had some minor surface corrosion inside (from a leak near the water discharge pipe / pump suction pipe directly above the water tank), as well as some exterior case corrosion around the water funnel. Maybe a common issue.

Mine has just started tripping the RCD, but that will be the subject of another thread.


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

I've fixed everything except the issue of the boiler to group bolts being locked tight. I've tried heat, I've tried wd40, I've tried cutting a slot into the bolt so I could used a long driver. Absolutely no luck! Does anyone have any ideas? I'm at a loss! How much does it cost for a pro to look at these things and service it? (the boiler/group everything else is striped off it now. Thanks


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Craigy_bear said:


> I've fixed everything except the issue of the boiler to group bolts being locked tight. I've tried heat, I've tried wd40, I've tried cutting a slot into the bolt so I could used a long driver. Absolutely no luck! Does anyone have any ideas? I'm at a loss! How much does it cost for a pro to look at these things and service it? (the boiler/group everything else is striped off it now. Thanks


Try impact (firmly tapping spanner with hammer)

also try tightening the nut to break it free before going back the other way.

If you cant do it yourself and its a bolt you can get a socket over take it to someone with an impact driver. Someone on here took a tough bolt to a mechanic who did this, moving tough bolts is part of the day job for them.

Be careful of putting large amounts of force on a fitting mounted directly to brass as its possible to bend/shear the connection.


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## Norvin (Sep 10, 2014)

I did a thread on a Gaggia OWC restoration about a year ago. In it I described cutting a slot in a stripped allen headed bolt and using an impact driver to loosen it. There is a picture of the setup on the thread.


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

Any chance of getting the thread Norvin? I've looked on your post history and can't see it. I got a quote from gaggia service UK quoting £30 to separate the halves and if needed drill out the screws. I'd rather learn myself but my confidence is waning.


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

Is it this one?

That's impressive, @Norvin!

https://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?29524&p=393305#post393305


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## timmyjj21 (May 10, 2015)

When the boiler seal fails you get corrosion forming in the aluminium parts only. The aluminium upper half has no threads and the bolts are basically glued in by this corrosion. You can try some vinegar around the bolts to see if they will loosen, but I personally just sheer off the bolt heads, then carefully tap a sacrificial Stanley knife blade between the boiler halves. This will seperate them with no major damage. The remaining bolt threads will be easily removable from the lower boiler segment as it is brass and the threads will not be stuck with the corrosion or scale buildup.


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## crmdgnly (Apr 12, 2017)

Mine too was stuck because of the corrosion following boiler seal failure.

A combination of heat for some, and (accidentally) shearing the head off, worked for me. In hindsight the vinegar soak might have been better to try before the blowtorch.

I don't know what the latest cordless impact drivers are like for torque (the ones that look like a cordless drill) so if you know someone who has one you could try.....if I hadn't succeeded when I did I had considered trying an old fashioned impact driver (the ones you hit with a hammer, but fortunately it never came to that).

The group head cleaned up nicely by the way, and I'm waiting on a new boiler. The old one worked when reassembled but a few days later tripped the RCD and I strongly suspect element problems (possibly exacerbated by the efforts to split the boiler - but that's just speculation).


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

Thanks folks I'll give these suggestions a try.


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

Forgive my ignorance! how do you go about shearing the bolt heads off? @timmyjj21


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Craigy_bear said:


> Forgive my ignorance! how do you go about shearing the bolt heads off? @timmyjj21


Thats not something you typically want to do.

Shearing off the head means twisting the head with such force that it breaks off from the shaft of the bolt. In certain situations this might be to your advantage if it then proves easier to separate the halves of whatever the bolt was holding together and then remove the bolt with grips or by making a slot in the remaining shaft, however it is just as likely to leave you with a stuck bolt shaft that must be very carefully drilled out - so not advisable.


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## timmyjj21 (May 10, 2015)

It's worked well the few times I've done it. All the scale buildup sits around the threads of the bolts going through the aluminium, binding them completely.

I cut a slot in the bolt head with a Dremel tool and use a massive flat head screwdriver with a large wrench attached to it. It either comes undone or sheers off.

Once the boiler is opened, the remaining threads can often be removed with just your fingers as there has never been corrosion on the threads going into the brass boiler base and there is no tension on the remaining bolt threads.


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

Massive thanks to @El carajillo for being kind enough to offer help in looking at my boiler. I'm very grateful.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

View attachment 26356
View attachment 26357
View attachment 26359


Gaggia Paros bolt removal, one head was damaged and required sawing off, other three all sheared off despite copious applications of vinegar , Plusgas and lashings of heat. These were well and truly seized, after further applications of heat and Plusgas + soaking time there was sufficient thread left to

severely grip with a mole wrench. Rocking and further applications of PG they eventually came out.

Last one, flush with the boiler base:rolleyes:







OOH -------.

Centre punch bolt and drill through to accept thread extractor, more PG thread extractor flexing,run more PG through hole to soak bottom of the into the bolt. Drill out to largest usable extractor + more heat + PG:dummy:







Plan C or is it F ?

Last chance, drill out to core size of bolt just leaving threads in the boiler base, re-tap thread to clear debris and make new thread:coffee:















.

If you intend to take on a project, make sure you have lots of patience and suitable tools to do it:good:.

Ready for posting back to Craigy B


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## Norvin (Sep 10, 2014)

Well done. I hate using extractors, never managed to use one successfully to extract a seized in stud. Then there's the possibility that if it snaps off in the hole (likely because they are really brittle), you're in a much, much worse situation. I usually skip straight to the drill out and re-tap stage.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

I am not a fan of them but I thought I would have two bites of the cherry. Breaking off is the worst nightmare they are so hard.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

I think I have been lucky, partly through using an impact driver which in effect is a hammer drill which applies the hammer action rotationally rather than back and forward. Then as said above drilling out to accept a stud extractor when all else fails - I think the drilling action and heat generated often breaks the seal, for £3 they are always worth a go -

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p51010?table=no


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

Amazing work, the paros is working a dream now.


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## crmdgnly (Apr 12, 2017)

Craigy_bear said:


> Amazing work, the paros is working a dream now.


Did you have to do much work (I've read the boiler splitting challenges obviously)?

My Paros is very happy with it's new boiler, and I treated it to a brass diffusion plate / shower head holder. But it's still got some corrosion damage to the top grey lid / cover area (I'm deciding on paint colour) and the steam valve looks like a hard one to source.

Was yours just a general clean up and seals?


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

@crmdgnly hello bud, yes it was mainly a good clean and getting the gunk out, new seals and new bolts for the boiler and steam assy. I didn't have any corrosion on the cover but more on the mounting plate/frame that everything is attached to. It all cleaned really well with a brass brush and S/steel dremel brush. I am very impressed with it's solid construction. I agree that I'd rather have a darker colour than the silver/grey of the stock cover. I'd be interested in what beans you're using and the grind setting to compare notes as i'm quite new to this! The steam valve will get rarer in time.


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## crmdgnly (Apr 12, 2017)

Thanks.

I had some corrosion on the mounting chassis too.

At the moment I am just using supermarket beans, Waitrose Italian I think. I'll try and work out the grind setting later and reply.


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)

Here are a few pics


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## crmdgnly (Apr 12, 2017)

Grind setting is a about 16 setps from finest. It's working OK for me, I have a tendency to overtamp so am slowly testing out grind settings and tamping (and will do more when I finally get the case back on subject to paint)

I've added a pic of the grinder pointer in case it helps and you can see some of the (probably similar) corrosion directly above the water tank, as well as a gratuitous shot of a some shots


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## Craigy_bear (Mar 9, 2017)




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