# Gaggia Classic Rancilio Steam Wand Mod



## bigyun2000

Hi all.

I recently purchased the Gaggio Classic which after a short time developed a problem. I sent it back and a new one arrived this morning.









I ordered the Rancilio Steam Wand and want to know how to install the mod. I have looked around and followed some info, but this has left me with a very tight fitting.

Is it possible please for someone on this forum who has the Gaggia Classic that has done the mod successfully, help me please.

I purchased "RANCILIO SILVIA, GAGGIA CLASSIC Alternative replacement" from www.espressounderground.co.uk Priced at £23.18 inclusive of delivery.

Many thanks

Tony


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## maarten_booij

Have you sanded down the bit which you fit in the gaggia? The little piece of tubing just above the fitting nut. It is a little bit too thick to fit on a gaggia classic (I couldn't even get it in) so it needs to be sanded down so the diameter is slightly smaller.

It took me about 15 minutes of sanding / fitting / sanding / fitting and so on to get it to fit, but now I can move the wand quite easily.

Good luck!


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## Pedro083

I got one of these last week, all I done was swapped the nuts (had to straighten the gaggia tube to get it off) plopped it in and tightened up no problems at all, the arm swings freely and no leaking. No sanding or anything required


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## maarten_booij

Hmmm, that's strange. Maybe either the Gaggia Classic or the wand changed...


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## Glenn

There are 2 different steam wands - 1 fits much better than the other.

Which Rancilio version did you get?


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## ripley

Pedro083 said:


> I got one of these last week, all I done was swapped the nuts (had to straighten the gaggia tube to get it off) plopped it in and tightened up no problems at all, the arm swings freely and no leaking. No sanding or anything required


Hi Pedro

where did you get your wand? Happy Donkey?

cheers


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## ripley

bigyun2000 said:


> Hi all.
> 
> I recently purchased the Gaggio Classic which after a short time developed a problem. I sent it back and a new one arrived this morning.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I ordered the Rancilio Steam Wand and want to know how to install the mod. I have looked around and followed some info, but this has left me with a very tight fitting.
> 
> Is it possible please for someone on this forum who has the Gaggia Classic that has done the mod successfully, help me please.
> 
> Many thanks
> 
> Tony


Hi

go here for some pics

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=11548518

cheers


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## Pedro083

ripley said:


> Hi Pedro
> 
> where did you get your wand? Happy Donkey?
> 
> cheers


I got mine from myespresso was expecting to sand it down and such but fitted no problems


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## ripley

Pedro083 said:


> I got mine from myespresso was expecting to sand it down and such but fitted no problems


cheers. you didn't happen to get two in your jiffy bag Lol? I ordered one from "him" two weeks ago and my jiffy bag was empty.....

ho hum.


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## Pedro083

Nope only one sadly but the bag was big enough for another 20 though


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## ripley

haha yeah.

so what you reckon now you have done this upgrade? was it worth it?


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## nekromantik

I have emailed Happy Donkey to as if they know if this will fit the Cubika Plus.


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## Coffee Services

nekromantik said:


> I have emailed Happy Donkey to as if they know if this will fit the Cubika Plus.


It looks like this would fit the cubika plus, to make sure unscrew your steamer and see if the steamer is tubular on the top, if you watch the video in this link you will see how easy it is to do this mod

http://r.ebay.com/7kDpkp


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## EarwaxUK

Mine fitted without any sanding as well.

At the time, I found someone talking about the differences with the Silvia wands and which version of the Silvia they came from but I can't find it now. Mine is a v2 wand and I've seen several other people say the same thing. Looks like the v1 and v2 wands fit straight on but the v3 needs a bit of sanding down.

This is what I bought


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## Charliej

The V1 wand is the only one that will fit onto a Gaggia machine neither the V2 or V3 Silvia wands will fit as they changed the steam valve and the fitting for the wand.


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## froggystyle

Coffee Services said:


> It looks like this would fit the cubika plus, to make sure unscrew your steamer and see if the steamer is tubular on the top, if you watch the video in this link you will see how easy it is to do this mod
> 
> http://r.ebay.com/7kDpkp


haha nice link...


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## EarwaxUK

I didn't know that - mine must have been mislabelled then. I've also helped a mate fit a (supposed) v3 wand which did need sanding down.

That's the problem with eBay - if you're after something very specific you need to really be able to trust the vendor.


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## Charliej

The Silvia V2 and V3 wands are completely different to the ones that fit the Classic, they don't even have the same style fixing between the wand and steam valve.


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## fg230

check this link

http://coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/machinemods/609335


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## osrix

yeah the v3 is totally different , its not a bolt on upgrade like the V1 steam arm. I just fitted the V3 on my Classic, but had to make the adaptor. not difficult with the right tools. but impossible without them!

Well worth it though and I had the Silvia arm on mine already. looks the business and performs even better than before:good:


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## oracleoftruth

osrix said:


> yeah the v3 is totally different , its not a bolt on upgrade like the V1 steam arm. I just fitted the V3 on my Classic, but had to make the adaptor. not difficult with the right tools. but impossible without them!
> 
> Well worth it though and I had the Silvia arm on mine already. looks the business and performs even better than before:good:


You could make yourself a nice little sideline by selling these upgrades, Osrix. Looks thicker and bigger (ooh er...Enlarge your wand NOW!).


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## osrix

Yeah my wand is Massive!









Maybe I would but finding the V3 wand in stock anywhere in Europe is nearly impossible at the moment.

I bought mine in from Stefano's espressocare in the US, great price, quick post then got a massive £11.54 charge on top







Bloody RM the customs charge was only £3.54 rest was a "handling fee"

Just made a Cpp and the thing 's a beast, its like having a hose pipe going into my 10oz and foams in about half the time than my other one.


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## Wuyang

Osrix...... Is it better than the v1 or are you just comparing it to the standard plastic one? Also what did you have to do to mod it to fit. Looks sweet.


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## osrix

Yeah IMO better than the v1 I didn't even try the plastic foamer lol I post up the details tommorow, just followed someone elses idea's and added some of my own!

start with this

http://coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/machinemods/606850

there's a load of stuff dotted around in the thread but all the good stuff by duck


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## m4lcs67

I did the Silvia mod the other week to my classic and the transformation was immediate. Granted, the texturising technique is a steep learning curve if you are not used to it, but once you have mastered it the results are brilliant. This is the wand that I got http://www.myespresso.co.uk/product.php/419/rancilio-frothing-arm-2008-version-fits-gaggia-classic

From reading some of the other posts on the subject there are slight variants. I just bought the 2008 wand (which is recommended) as it is a straight swap. No modifications or anything. The only thing I did have to do was cut the old steam wand in half in order to get the nut off. Apart from that it went straight in no problem.


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## Wuyang

I've got the straight swap version, easy to change, I'm still having very varied micro foam success or lack of success. Just not getting an even texture through the milk.....I know some do...so it's definitely me and not the equipment.


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## NeilR

I've done the mod but am also struggling with the texturising technique. I seem to end up with just hot milk, sometimes even boiling it. The Rancilio wand is really loud as well, at least at first when it sounds like a jet engine.

Any suggestions?


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## m4lcs67

As I mentioned in a previous post, it is a steep learning curve. Once you have the basic idea then it will become like second nature. I watched loads of youtube in order to get the idea.

Firstly switch on the steam button and leave it to build-up. Some people suggest leaving it even after the steam light has come on, but I have started steaming pretty much the moment they light comes on without any problem.

Purge the wand then turn off the steam whilst you put the nozzle of the wand in the milk (just so the nozzle is submerged in the milk, but no more). Turn on the steam and immediately lower the milk jug so the nozzle breaks the surface of the milk for a split second and starts to create bubbles then lower the nozzle back into the milk so that it is just under the surface. While doing this keep the nozzle at one side of the jug, so it starts to create a whirlpool effect and starts to swirl the milk. If you are doing it correctly you will hear a chirping sound and the large bubbles that you initially created will be drawn to the steam nozzle and sucked into the milk. While doing this, keep a hand at the bottom of the jug to feel the temparature. When all the large bubbles have been sucked into the milk and there are no more visible signs of bubbles you can then move the steam nozzle further into the milk to distribute it. better around the jug. Once you feel the jug is getting too hot to touch, turn off the steam (very important to turn off the steam before lifting the nozzle out of the jug otherwise you will fire large bubbles back into the milk again). All of this happens within a very short space of time, so you need your wits about you as you are concentrating on several things at once. As you hone your skills it will become like second nature.Finally wipe the steam nozzle with a damp cloth to remove any milk residue and give it a purge to get rid of any milk trapped inside the steam arm. Take the jug of steamed milk and give it a swirl around and if you have done it right the top of the milk will resemble wet gloss paint if you have done it right. And don't for get to give the jug a gentle tap on the worktop to free any remaining bubbles if there are any left.

I changed my wand a few weeks ago and so far the result have been mixed. Sometimes the milk comes out absolutely beautiful. Thick, lush and silky and on the odd occasion where I have made a slight error with getting air into the milk at the beginning of the process. I am still learning myself, but having made fantastic milk I know how to get it now. Just going to keep practicing.


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## NeilR

Thanks for your detailed reply Malc. I'll try again later. If at first you don't succeed .....


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## rws

osrix said:


> Yeah IMO better than the v1 I didn't even try the plastic foamer lol I post up the details tommorow, just followed someone elses idea's and added some of my own!
> 
> start with this
> 
> http://coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/machinemods/606850
> 
> there's a load of stuff dotted around in the thread but all the good stuff by duck


Slightly old thread now I know, but I'm really interested in doing this mod on my Classic. I just ordered a v1/v2 wand as a stop-gap (£11.95 on eBay, though I wish I'd seen the link on page 2 for the £12.95 one with a tamping mat), but can't get the idea of a nicely articulating steam wand out of my head.

What did you need to do to make your adapter? I've read the threads on CoffeeGeek and the only folks who seem to have succeeded were in the US and were struggling with imperial vs metric fittings. I think the answer is that I'd need to get one of my acquaintances with access to a workshop to machine an M18 - 1.5 male to M10 - 1.0 male adapter, with a suitable size hole bored right through to carry the steam from the Gaggia, plus a wider hole (1/2" diameter x 1/2" deep seems to be suggested) in the M18 end to take the spring and teflon seat for the v3 steam wand.

Any thoughts on that? Did you modify a ready made adapter from somewhere or start from scratch?


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## ocalld

Hi

ive installed the rancillio wand mod on my classic.

It came with a metal washer and the orig classic wand had a rubber o-ring, neither fitted on the new wand so I fitted it without.

its really is a lot better.

BUT

i have a problem with the wand dripping water.

i thought it might be the missing oring so today I fitted a #008 oring which fitted perfectly but the wand still drips. It's dripping from the inside of the wand and not running down the outside.

how can I stop my dripping wand???

cheers

dan


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## El carajillo

If it is dripping from inside, this is due to the steam valve (tap) leaking. This is often due to over tightening the steam Knob when shutting off as it wears the seat/seal of the valve.

This is non repairable and requires a replacement steam valve or live with it until it gets too bad.


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## froggystyle

Could just be because you have fitted the Silvia wand, mine loosens itself just up where it enters the case, I have to tighten it every few days when it starts dripping.


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## jeebsy

That doesn't sound like it's fitted properly


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## El carajillo

froggystyle said:


> Could just be because you have fitted the Silvia wand, mine loosens itself just up where it enters the case, I have to tighten it every few days when it starts dripping.


Saw 1 or 2 mm off the top end, this allows the nut to seat correctly and not bind and continually undo itself.


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## jeebsy

froggystyle said:


> Could just be because you have fitted the Silvia wand, mine loosens itself just up where it enters the case, I have to tighten it every few days when it starts dripping.


Are you sure there's not two o rings in the machine?


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## EarwaxUK

There is just the one o-ring on mine.

Never had it leak from the top though. It tends to spit after use but that's something else...


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## jeebsy

EarwaxUK said:


> There is just the one o-ring on mine.


Was just asking as sometimes the old one stays in the machine - if that happened and the new wand was put on with one too can imagine it might be work the best


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## Jim bean

osrix said:


> yeah the v3 is totally different , its not a bolt on upgrade like the V1 steam arm. I just fitted the V3 on my Classic, but had to make the adaptor. not difficult with the right tools. but impossible without them!
> 
> Well worth it though and I had the Silvia arm on mine already. looks the business and performs even better than before:good:





rws said:


> Slightly old thread now I know, but I'm really interested in doing this mod on my Classic. I just ordered a v1/v2 wand as a stop-gap (£11.95 on eBay, though I wish I'd seen the link on page 2 for the £12.95 one with a tamping mat), but can't get the idea of a nicely articulating steam wand out of my head.
> 
> What did you need to do to make your adapter? I've read the threads on CoffeeGeek and the only folks who seem to have succeeded were in the US and were struggling with imperial vs metric fittings. I think the answer is that I'd need to get one of my acquaintances with access to a workshop to machine an M18 - 1.5 male to M10 - 1.0 male adapter, with a suitable size hole bored right through to carry the steam from the Gaggia, plus a wider hole (1/2" diameter x 1/2" deep seems to be suggested) in the M18 end to take the spring and teflon seat for the v3 steam wand.
> 
> Any thoughts on that? Did you modify a ready made adapter from somewhere or start from scratch?


i fancy doing the V3 steam wand mod too it doesn't seem too difficult

From a bit of research you need a V3 wand

http://www.espressocare.com/products/item/rancilio-silvia-steam-wand-kit-08

And a reducing nipple

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321170025933?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

You also need to bend the brass pipe the wand attaches too

instructions here

http://kabalin.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/gaggia-classic-steam-wand-upgrade.html?showComment=1408052111234

Postage from the states is the biggest cost $57 if you want it insured $17 for normal mail possible customs charge too

you can buy it from the uk but it comes complete with the valve attached for the silvia machine but I think you need the spring and washer that comes with the espressocare wand

http://www.ferrari-espresso.com/product.php/918/rancilio-silvia-steam-cock-complete

think I will wait a while see if the kits become available in the Uk/Europe


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## The Systemic Kid

If you want a 'plug and play' Silvia steam wand for the Classic have a look at:

http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hdr0001.html


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## pedro88

The Systemic Kid said:


> If you want a 'plug and play' Silvia steam wand for the Classic have a look at:
> 
> http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hdr0001.html


So what version is this wand, is it v1/v2 ?


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## gingerneil

This looks like a v1 - straight swap. I'm attempting a v3 fit in a few days - bits available on ebay, and will be selling my v1.

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?19298-Gaggia-Classic-Rancilio-Silvia-V3-Steam-wand-upgrade-with-pics


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## roscoffbean

Does anybody know the part number for the nut that holds the replacement wand in place. I'd quite like to keep the original intact . Just in case........


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## urbanbumpkin

I'm sure there's someone on eBay selling the Silvia wand with a nut that fits the classic for about £11-£12


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## roscoffbean

Thanks urbanbumpkin - i've got the wand - but its got the rancilio bolt on it!


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## qpop

urbanbumpkin said:


> I'm sure there's someone on eBay selling the Silvia wand with a nut that fits the classic for about £11-£12


The cheapest I found was £20 Inc p&p.


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## urbanbumpkin

I managed to slide the Gaggia bolt off the old arm by very slightly bending the old stream arm. I used pliers after wrapping something round the wand, just where the sharp bend is.


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## urbanbumpkin

qpop said:


> The cheapest I found was £20 Inc p&p.


You're right, although when I checked the other evening there was a Midlands based seller doing the wands without the nut for £10.95 and with the nut for £11.95 posted. Bugger!


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## jeebsy

urbanbumpkin said:


> I managed to slide the Gaggia bolt off the old arm by very slightly bending the old stream arm. I used pliers after wrapping something round the wand, just where the sharp bend is.


I hit mine with a hammer a few times at the bend and it straightened it enough to get the bolt off. Probably not advisable tekkers though....


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## roscoffbean

Spotted some sort of adapter on ebay. had the Rancilio bolt male on one end and the gaggia on the other! very clever.

if not .... i'll end up paying for another wand!


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