# Cleaning La Pavoni Europiccola



## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

I've looked and I can't see a simple guide anywhere (and we all know I'm a Muppet and need very short very obvious instructions)

I'm used to cleaning behind my shower screen and back flushing weekly. I've not done anything so far as it's a bit terrifying and the advice online seems to mostly be"do nothing" So I can't even work out how to get the shower screen out with any certainty. Here's my plan, can those with wisdom add in their advice and process?

1) buy molykote on amazon

2) find suitable spanners

3) remove (loosen?) nuts from above lever, push down until shower screen pops out (piston will/won't follow it out?)

4) soak shower screen in cafiza and wipe visible bit of piston (or will it drop out and need reinserting? If so clean thoroughly and use a tiny amount of grease)

5) refasten nuts and tighten- somehow making sure it goes back to where it came from?

6) Reinsert shower screen and use portafilter to shove back into place.

What have I missed? What are the pitfalls? Is there a simpler method?

Do I even need to do this with a la pavoni?


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

@Missy - You need to push off the circlips on the roller pins first to be able to drop the piston shaft. I like to use a small wooden stick for that.

Its easier to support the bell of the group head in one hand underneath it, then push firmly down on the piston shaft with a wooden block and it should pop right out.

Make a note of where the piston shaft top and locking nuts are, gives you a guide for reassembly. You want the piston to stop just before contacting the back of the shower screen.

Will dig out the link to a full tear down video, should be able to copy the first steps.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@Missy - You do - but it doesn't need to be done as often as an E61 machine.

The nuts at the top of the piston rod are hand tighten - you shouldn't need spanners.

Tightening the nuts at the top of the piston rod is your last step. you pull the lever all the way down until it touches the shower screen. then you deal with the nuts at the top: Insert the first one all the way until it touches the group. Undo it by 1/4 turn; Put the secure not at the top to keep it in place. That's it.

It can be an intimidating process for the first few times. The most annoying is that sometimes the shower screen is just kind of "glued" to the group. I personally find you are better off taking the group off by undoing the two screws (you'll need a spanner for those) - making sure you hold the group in place as you loosen them. Remove the group carefully making sure you don't damage the inlet pipe. Same again to put it back.

Remember not to over tighten them when you put them back. It doesn't need to be tight at all. usually just finger tight and then a quick nip up with a spanner.


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

Couldn't find a decent video, the ones I spotted used metal picks to remove the gasket which is a bit of a no-no.

The 1/4 turn suggestion from @MediumRoastSteam is a good one though, which is a rule of thumb I'm going to pinch! 😉


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Northern_Monkey said:


> is a good one though, which is a rule of thumb I'm going to pinch!


 Years and years of dissecting and absorbing information from all sorts related to machines I no longer have resulted in not enough storage space in my brain and forgetting how to drive. 🙂 😂


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

Sitrep. I've got the nuts off, and the circlip I've got my big bit of wood, I just can't get it to shift down. 🤣🤣. Going to try again after a cup of tea.


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

Well it popped out. Sending the shower screen half way across the kitchen. But it looks like the seal that secures the shower screen is still in. Does this mean using screws to pull it out and buying a new one? I can't see any other way of securing the screen now it's clean!


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Missy said:


> But it looks like the seal that secures the shower screen is still in. D


 You'll need to order a new group seal, as the one there must be damaged - most certainly by now! - and cooked against the group. It never happened to me, but in essence you will need to hack it to bits in order to get it out. Some people use a screw and screw it in to "bite it" and then pull - but I never tried that myself.

When you have that group nice and clean, put a smear of silicone on the group seal - on the side that faces the group - *NOT *on the side that faces the portafilter! - so this doesn't happen again.

Good luck.


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

I bodged it, it wasn't baked and when I slipped a (table) knife up the side it just slipped out - no idea why it didn't drop out. All back together now and for anyone wondering, it really is as easy as it sounds. I can see why there isn't much info on how to do it as you'd have to be as daft as me for it not to be apparent!

Take home lessons for future improvement-

I'm going to order a couple of spare group seals so I'm not stuck without if one does get stuck.

I'll make sure the machine is just off cold before trying to force bits out of it! I'd hoped that just warm would be ideal but it really wasn't those rubber seals on the piston are seriously tight!


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