# Gaggia Classic Screen screw stuck!!!!!!!!!!!HELP



## crickett

Trying to get the shower screen off with the normal small phillips screwdriver & it is totally not turning the screw...stuck. Ran a lot of hot water through the group head, plenty of hot water came through, still can't get this darn screw out to clean group head area. Would this screw driver work better---Pozidrive?? Thanks!


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## AndyL

the correct size philips head should work. It's unusual for this screw to be stuck it's only about 1/2 cm long and unscrews in a counter clockwise direction as I'm sure you know. if you are unscrewing it using a very short screwdriver with the machine upright then maybe try unplugging it, removing the tank etc and laying it on it's back, then you'll be able to use something with a bit more torque.

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## AndyL

Have you had the screw out before?

does it look flush with the plate? if not then I guess it's possible it's cross threaded.

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## Glenn

You're not alone in suffering this fate

I too have had an issue in the past but that was due to a stripped screw head

Can you post a photo of what the screw looks like at present? That way we can advise further on how best to proceed

Worst case scenario is that you'll need a new shower screen and screw...


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## crickett

Doing everything always have done, turning counter clockwise with philips, now pozidrive driver. Have taken out many times; always hard to remove, but can't budge it no matter what. Don't have a camera, but this is the identical screw/part that got the brand new machine with about 2 years ago. Gaggia needs to deal with this issue. Heard this problem from a lot of people, but no real solution. Don't believe it is stripped. Stupid question, but how would you even know. I thought when something was stripped it was loose & not tightening, not the reverse? Can use a power drill to remove this screw? Sorry don't have a camera.


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## crickett

My husband went out & got what the Home Depot told him were just like Pozidrive screwdrivers. They look like bits to put in a power drill. He told him these screwdriver bits would fit in the handle he has....they don't. Between the two of us, we struggled trying to get this screw loosened & out for a good hour to no avail. He is going to try & get it out with the power drill tomorrow. This should be interesting.

The frustrating part is that the screw has always been somewhat difficult to get out, but he has always been able to remove it. I never wait longer than about a month or so to clean out that shower screen. I just do not get this. If the screw was stripped, I would think it would be too loose to tighten, not too tight to loosen.

Any suggestions? I know it is not a good idea to just forget about it & never clean the screen. That is only eventually asking for trouble. I just have no idea what to do; how to remove this screw. It is so tight my husband can't get it to budge. I ran lots of hot water through the group head; did nothing. Arghhhhhh


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## BanishInstant

I could not remove the showerscreen from my Gaggia TS for the same reason. I tried everything but it would not budge. Eventually I bought a replacement and then bent the screen with a slim bladed screwdriver and then used some pliers to "unscrew". Of course the original screen was no longer useable - hence the ordering of a replacement beforehand.


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## AndyL

Wow, seems to be quite a common problem. Are you trying to remove the screw when the machine is hot or cold? Metal expands when it's hot so you may find it more difficult. it's possible coffee grinds have found there way into the thread making life more difficult, even causing it to cross thread. If it were me I'd turn the machine upside down apply a few drips of 3 in 1 oil and leave it for about 20 minutes and try again. if it's successful then of course you'd need to remove any excess oil. if that fails then you could either go with the previous solution and bend out the shower plate or drill the screw out and replace it with a new one. sorry for your frustration, good luck.

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## crickett

Andy, that was going to be our next step today, using a drill to try & remove screw. This is just unbelieveable. No, we always work on trying to remove the screw when it is totally cold, hot would be impossible.


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## AndyL

Well just to throw a curve ball try removing it when it's hot, as I said metal expands when it hot so if the plate expands a little more than the screw being a different metal then it might be all it needs to free it. just be careful.

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## barrykensett

Couple of points, if it is like mine it is not a Pozidrive screw, it is a Philips, they are not the same and it is possible to damage the recess if the wrong one is used. I found that a short bit in a right angle driver was better than a screwdriver, can apply more force to keep driver in recess. When I had removed it once it was easy after that, probably previous owner never took it out.

Barry


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## crickett

Thanks Andy...sounds like a plan. If that or the oil doesn't work.....I hate tearing apart the screen. But you all agree, even with just regular descaling, 1 cappuccino per day, running hot water through the group head--not removing that shower screen will end up causing bigger problems???


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## crickett

Gaggia should really come up with a different plan with this shower screen screw. It is obviously been a problem for many more than me...


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## crickett

Barry, the shape of the inside of the screw looks like a 6 sided stop sign. The philips tip is always popping out--like it doesn't completely fit the screw. Someone on another site said it should either be a pozidrive or an off set phillips. All I know is either the philips doesn't give much grip & keeps popping our of the screw or that the the one similar to pozidrive fits, but none budge it.


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## Glenn

Sounds like you have a hex screw and a hex driver (allen key) will be required to remove it

Does it look like E in this image?










If so, this is not a standard screw for the shower head and may have been fitted by the previous owner

Image from http://www.fastfixdirect.co.uk/code/machine_screw_information.asp


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## crickett

Andy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you soooooooooo much!! The screw came out almost immediately when trying to remove it when the machine was still hot. Husband didn't even burn himself. Now, can he just replace that pain in the butt philips screw with a flat head screw? thanks so much.


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## crickett

Glenn, thanks for posting the screws; appreciate that! I don't know if we changed the shape of the screw cuz it looks like a rounded cross--more like "b", but more rounded (probably from gauging it so much with the driver trying to get it out). Hopefully we can replace it with a regular flat head screw now that it's out?


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## AndyL

Awesome, the power of physics. lol

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## crickett

Now what about the screw. Can we use a flat head screw/any type of screw? Thanks!


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## AndyL

IMHO a counter sunk phillips head is going to be best. The thing with these Gaggia machines and probably others is nothing needs tightening with a huge amount of torque in the first place. So pleased you got it out.

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## crickett

okay thanks Andy. (am I an idiot...what is a "counter sunk" philips?)


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## AndyL

Basically it's the screw you just took out, but get a new one. If you check the link Glenn left you it explains the different types. The direct replacement part you require is D17987-5x8I. try http://www.partsguru.com or just take the old screw to a hardware store a source a replacement that way. I think its an M 5x8.

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## crickett

Thanks Andy!


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## MikeHag

Easy option is to buy this, which comes with the right screw. (Mine did anyway)

http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd0300-gaggia-shower-plate.html


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## cyber-insekt

I'm having this problem too. I've only had my Classic for a month but want to make sure to keep it in prime condition. Tried to remove the shower screen retaining screw without success... cold, hot doesn't make a difference. Tried 3 different screwdrivers. It's stuck fast. What should I do next?


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## xiuxiuejar

I have had mine for 10 years and popped it out this week for the first time. Came out no problems! Strange.


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## Glenn

Does this help?

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?669-Help-How-to-remove-a-stripped-reamed-out-screw-head


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## cyber-insekt

I've tried the turning upside down idea and using a flat bladed screwdriver but it still won't budge. I don't want to damage the screw as the machine is under warranty and I'm worried that it may invalidate it. I just hoped there would be an easy way around this but it looks like I'm going to have to get onto Gaggia and ask them to come up with a solution. Thanks for the suggestions though!


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## cyber-insekt

Just an update on this. I got onto Phillips and they arranged for collection of the machine, sorted out the problem and I've now got my unit back... the kitchen once again smells of great coffee! And not only that, Phillips also replaced the pump, the solenoid and switch bank... not sure if this is standard practice when a machine goes in for repair but I've now got a fully serviced and tested machine... and they descaled it too! Can't offer anything more than praise for such good and swift customer service.


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## sshbeck

My Saeco Aroma, that I found at thrift shop, had shower screen screw frozen in place. I was frustrated for two days trying to loosen the Philipshead screw holding the shower screen in place. Nothing would work. So I took a few suggestions from the web on how to get it out and here's what finally worked for me.

What you will need: a) *small sharp flathead screwdriver. B) **Small ratcheting screwdriver kit that has fitting for your shower screen screw. C) **Can of Air** that is used to blow dust from computer keyboards, etc. D) **Patience*



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Steps*

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1) **unplug your machine**, take out the water tank and carefully turn your machine on it's top so the group head and shower screen is now upside down facing you and easy to work on.*



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2) I took a **small blade screwdriver and gently wedged it between the shower screen and group head to work it loose** from the group head. **NOTE: If you have a shower screen that is thinly made or cheaply made and you think it will bend out of shape... **Then Skip THIS STEP**.** This step is to break apart any coffee gunk that might be freezing the shower screen plate to the group head. My overall solution I think can still work if you have to skip this step. I got brave and did this step and my shower screen was left in perfect condition, but make sure you are careful so as not to scratch or destroy the group head gasket.*



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3) Next I plugged machine into electric outlet and turned on the machine to heat up the group head a bit. When hot I turned off & unplugged the machine. The group head will stay hot for awhile unplugged.*



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4) Now I took the can of air and aimed it only on the screw holding the shower screen in place. The thinking here is that the heated group head is expanding the screw fitting that the screw screws into and now the shot of canned air is cold and will allow only the screw to contract a bit. Hopefully freeing the screw.*



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5) Now take your ratcheting screw driver and yes, first try to tighten the screw a bit if possible. Yes, try to slightly tighten if possible to help break any possible gunk holding the frozen screw. If no movement then just move on and focus on tying to carefully to untighten the screw. (CAREFUL, YOU DON'T WANT TO STRIP the head of the screw) You can give multiple shots of canned air to keep the screw colder than the group head if the screw will not unscrew. Put plenty of downward press on the screwdriver to keep it in the screw and not to strip the head of the screw. Here's where the patience pays off. No luck yet, just keep trying, careful not to strip the head of the screw.*



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6) Third patient attempt it worked for me. Wow! There was a point that I never thought I would get the screw out, as it was very frozen in place. Guessing prior owner never cleaned the screen or did clean and over tightened the shower screen screw and now I was stuck with the project. The shower screen was partially clogged and sticky and guessing did contribute to this situation. **GOOD LUCK and you can do this!*


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## Peterscrew

Dremel work fine


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## Boomingfast

I had the same problem and ended up totally rounding the screw head. Eventually managed to free it by drilling into the screw head by 2mm then tapping a small hex shaped screwdriver bit into the hole. Came out quite easily using some pliers. It looked like there was some thread lock in there....ruined the screw but it was anyway.


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## Peterscrew




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