# Another bit of 70s style being revitalised



## AndyDClements (Aug 29, 2016)

This thread will hopefully not be very long as long as things work as planned and I don't make too many mistakes (that just tempted fate).

I have purchased a v2.2 Europiccola (1979), and it was looking a little sorry for itself but not too bad. In reality, I think a decent service would have been enough, but time for a strip-down, clean and reassemble. Actually I guess it was hygienic, but as with everything coffee related, the residue just looks unsightly.

I'll not include all photos, but here we have a clue as to the state of components.

The shower screen floated when sat in a bowl of water. The holes were so clogged that it didn't let any water (with Puly) through under that low pressure.









I'm sure it was just coffee residue, but I'd not want to put that into my milk, and doubt I'd bet much steam out anyway.









The seals all look a bit worse for wear, there were small circles of rubber on the piston shaft, which had obviously come from the top seal.

It arrived during the week, the kit was ordered and arrived at the end of the week (by which time the machine was in pieces). Friday night most parts were clean/ being cleaned by a soak in Puly. Plastic items had been polished.

Sat, the seals were fitted, and off to the local motor factors DIY store, cans of red primer, clear lacquer and Triumph Russet brown pain were purchased. Not an exact colour match, but not far out.

Over the weekend the base has been sanded, cleaned, sprayed and has annoyed me. I got silicone spots in the paint (a tiny amount of contaminant gets dissolved by the pain thinner, it then spreads and makes the pain pool away from it. Annoying, but having reduced the effect by means of sanding cleaning etc, it's a little less obvious and I'm keen to get the base done. I like the look of the orange base of the professional, but wanted to keep it closer to original.

I'm now waiting for a spanner to arrive by post, so that I can adapt it and tighten the boiler to the base. Then, it's re-wiring (using the existing as it was in good condition) and test fire the machine.

Then I can do some photos of the result, along with a report as to whether I've been successful.


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## AndyDClements (Aug 29, 2016)

Some more progress.

The tool arrived, a spanner for an immersion heater. The distance across the flats is enough to go over the brass/bronze ring that secures the boiler. A little bit of work (drilling and filing) and I've made three notches which then engage with the three bolt-hole areas of the cast ring. So, dedicated europiccola tool for c £3.

So, the boiler is now secured to the base, on which the paint is pretty much cured (there's still some aroma of the solvent but only noticeable if my nose is pressed to the paint. So, I've taken that as a sign that the paint is cured enough to not scuff when being handled.

Heating element secured back to the boiler an re-wired*.

I didn't de-scale before the strip-down and de-scaling once apart was going to be a faff, so have put a little through the machine now reassembled. The water coming out is decidedly blue/green (copper salts in the scale were obvious when I had it apart), so I'm just going to keep rinsing etc until the water is clear by a few times.

As part of the de-scale I did get to use the element, and it worked, water got hot it didn't go pop, so I'm hopeful that the element is serviceable for a few more years (or at least until I forget to put enough water in).

I didn't think to order a double basket, but maybe I'll get one of the Elektra ones (if it fits the earlier group), and cut the bottom out of the holder.

I'll get some pictures done, and hopefully in a few days have at least puled a test-shot using the current single-shot basket.

* I've re-used the wiring that was on the machine it's too short to be practical for me. I think I'll get a new lead, a kettle one with proper hot cable and a molded-on plug, then just cut off the kettle connector and re-wire using that.


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## Stanic (Dec 12, 2015)

Great job on it!


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## AndyDClements (Aug 29, 2016)

Just pulled a shot, using hand grinder, so probably not as fine as I'd want (or can get with the big grinder), and it's using the single basket.

It worked, it may have over-extracted judging by the colour of the extract coming out. The puck was nice and complete when tapped out of the basket, all nice and even (and dry).

Hope this image file isn't too big








I don't have a metal sheet to sit on the plastic tray yet. That's still to be sorted.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Looks good, and actually the brown base suits it, not sure the electra basket will fit it, but worth a go , if not chop out the bottom of the portafilter.


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