# Internal cleaning advice



## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

Hi all,

So i bought a Gaggia Classic on here about a month ago. I've been doing some maintenance - descaling, backlash & grouphead removal & clean. The water spout filler has always looked slightly in need of a clean so i decided to remove it in order to do a better job. When i looked inside the bottom of the machine i was slightly concerned. It seems very dirty. There's coffee grinds in the bottom & maybe what looks like dried brewed coffee? What is the best way to go about cleaning this? Would i need to strip the machine out or just try and poke something down to give it a rub the best i can?


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

If you are reasonably confident take some photos of interior and connections then dismantle and clean thoroughly.

If you are not confident clean with wipes / sponges etc on sticks to reach as much as possible.

Plenty of help on the forum to assist if needed.


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## mcrmfc (Sep 17, 2016)

We should probaby have a bot that replies to every Gaggia maintainence thread with a link to this video.






With the way the Gaggia is designed you really are best to learn how to take apart and reassemble.

IMHO descaling a Gaggia with the boiler in situ is about the worst thing you can do. The scale falls of the boiler walls to the bottom where it will then surely block the solenoid and cause even more problems.

It really is worth investing time to do a complete tear down.

What you show in your pics is common for old Gaggia Classics, previous owners have ignored or been ignorant to leaking inside the machine hence water and old coffee sits in the bottom making a right mess.


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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

Cheers. I have seen that video before & it was the one i used to check how to remove the water filling shoot. The machine i bought was labelled as a refurb. The solenoid has been replaced & all seals changed. I'm quite disappointed to find further dirt etc inside the machine. So after looking inside the machine it does seem quite straight forward to disassemble. What is the worst that can go wrong? I don't mean not fastening something back etc but is there any really key stage that requires experience or past knowledge? Like over torquing certain bolts / screws? I ask as the video has an obvious difference right from the start - the lid he removes doesn't have the earth lead attached. That caught me out straight away, not that i wasn't being cautious though so i did spot it but hopefully you understand what i am getting at.


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

I tend to let the machine warm up, unplug and slacken the boiler bolts in situ with a long 5mm Allen key. They can be a bit of a pain if over tightened or rusty. Good luck and let us know how you get on!


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

By slacken I literally mean just loosen/crack them then take them out properly when the boiler is out.


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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

Hi again, So things are going from bad to worst, but on the up again hopefully. So 1st things 1st. The machine started blowing steam out off the shower screen when flushing before pulling a shot. Was informed it was probably the brew / coffee thermostat that needed to be replaced. I came to replace this & it came off in my hand when i tried to remove the connectors. Okay, so we have 1 scummy dirty Gaggia now with a huge problem. So i took the advice on here & dismantled the machine today. Everything has gone to plan & yes it is pretty straight forward. With the help of a tool maker, the broken off screw has been evacuated from the brew 'hole' ready for a new one. I will pause here & ask: When the new one is screwed in, it goes straight nearly until the end then kinks off (x-threaded). This leaves the thermostat slightly askew & it does not squarely marry up the 2 faces. Is this going to be a problem? There is probably a gap of 1mm on the opposite side the where the thermostat touches the boiler.

So my final question is with regards to the heavy staining seen in the photos i originally attached. This is not moving, it has a heavy crust to it. Would some descaling solution help to shift it (Citric acid)? Thanks for any help with this. I am 50:50 regretting buying this machine but i would like to believe there is a rainbow waiting for me over the next hill?


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Citric acid should be fine but use tartaric acid in preference - its kinder to aluminium and seals - (don't worry citric is a close second)

The thermostat should sit flush to help with thermal transfer - 3 options - check that the hole threads are not cross threaded and try to insert again keeping it square on, alternatively but some thermal compound for computer heatsinks (ebay) £2 and use it to bridge the gap. Or the alternative is to get the hole re tapped.

Having gone this far I would be tempted to replace the seals £5 - look for the kit with an orange upgrade boiler seal, they are a doddle to replace , although I recommend flatting the bottom of the boiler seal face with some 240g and 600g wet and dry on a flat surface.

it will all be worth it in the end, and there is a certain satisfaction in rescuing a classic .

PS - changing the seals now will save future problems and keep it running for years. Cheers Jim


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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

Thanks Jim. The boiler seals 'should' be ok as this machine was bought as a refurb. But looking at situation with the rest of the machine I'm doubtful.

Do you know what the thread should be tapped to for the thermostat?

Thanks again.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

It looks to me that the threaded hole was out of square when manufactured, also indicated by the offset indent showing by the ruler.

Remove the stat and use a flt file to carefully remove the high point of the projection, check frequently by reinserting the stat until you have a flat uniform seat. I think there is ample depth for the stat pin but if not just file a touch off the end of the pin.

As Jim said use a touch of thermal transfer paste if you have access to some.

The amount you will file off will have no adverse effect on the boiler or it's case.


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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

Thanks El carajillo for the input. I think the photo is probably making it appear that way. The thermostat screws in straight for the first 2/3rd of its travel. It's just the very last bit it kicks off to one side.

I have come up with a potential work around, I've added a steel washer 2mm thick. The thermostat now meets the boiler squarely. Would this be acceptable do you think?


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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)




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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

Well that was a task & 1/2. 6 hours to remove all the crude & caked on coffee grinds. & yes these machines are a doddle to dismantle for anyone else watching. Thanks to everybody on these forums who have given advice & all the mountains of previous knowledge & discussions.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Galwaybay said:


> Thanks El carajillo for the input. I think the photo is probably making it appear that way. The thermostat screws in straight for the first 2/3rd of its travel. It's just the very last bit it kicks off to one side.
> 
> I have come up with a potential work around, I've added a steel washer 2mm thick. The thermostat now meets the boiler squarely. Would this be acceptable do you think?


As long as you have a full area seat it will be OK, brass washers would probably be better for heat transfer as it is the contact area that senses the temperature. + heat paste


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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

El carajillo said:


> As long as you have a full area seat it will be OK, brass washers would probably be better for heat transfer as it is the contact area that senses the temperature. + heat paste


I've just pulled my 1st shot. Seems to be working better than it ever did. Cheers.


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

What a transformation! Well done you!


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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

Thank you. You know i'll have to agree. I guess there's nothing like being thrown in at the deep end to really concentrate the mind.



MildredM said:


> What a transformation! Well done you!


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## Stanic (Dec 12, 2015)

good job!


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## eddie57 (Mar 21, 2017)

fair play excellent job mate


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Thermal paste

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silicon-Thermal-Heatsink-Compound-Cooling-Paste-Grease-PC-CPU-Processor-Xbox-Ps3-/172228699725?hash=item2819a1664d:g:cUQAAOSwirZTxPyF

Quality tap and die set (don't get an ebay one ) http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p10128?searchstr=tap%20and%20die

If you want to check the temp profile of your machine with the washer fitted there is a guide to proofing your machine read section 3B http://www.coffeecrew.com/learning/255-gaggia-classic-step-by-step


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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

jimbojohn55 said:


> Thermal paste
> 
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silicon-Thermal-Heatsink-Compound-Cooling-Paste-Grease-PC-CPU-Processor-Xbox-Ps3-/172228699725?hash=item2819a1664d:g:cUQAAOSwirZTxPyF
> 
> ...


Hi again. Thanks for taking the time here I really do appreciate it.

The thermal paste issue - do use or don't use seems. Very split over the web. I will probably get some anyway then it's done.

I'm ok with taps but again I appreciate your advice.

I have actually seen that web site before & was aware of the temp check process. I did a quick check today after I assembled it back together. I don't have a suitable container so used a warmed cup & measured it straight after a rough volume was collected. I was measuring 85-86°C which is promising but I do intend to check everything.

I'll also be opening it up over the next month to just check for any leaks / issues.

My only other thoughts are regarding the cable management inside the machine. Although the bundle has previous zip ties keeping it under control I think it could benefit a slight adjustment.

The only thing I didn't understand out how to do was remove the power inlet socket on the back. I have posted a question on the forum about it but it hasn't attracted any replies yet. If it was possible to remove this without damaging the part it would have made cleaning the case a lot easier.

Once again many thanks.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

To remove the power inlet socket you squeeze the sides of the socket with a pair of pliers on the inside to flatten the prongs then push it out - bit tricky, sometimes easier to do one side at

a time


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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

jimbojohn55 said:


> To remove the power inlet socket you squeeze the sides of the socket with a pair of pliers on the inside to flatten the prongs then push it out - bit tricky, sometimes easier to do one side at
> 
> a time


I could see that was required but I just couldn't manage it. I was also being slightly cautious as I just didn't need to break that!


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

Looking really good! What product did you use in the end to clean the inside?


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## Galwaybay (Apr 21, 2015)

MartinB said:


> Looking really good! What product did you use in the end to clean the inside?


I used puly cleaner which is citric acid & tartaric acid.

I used a syringe to puddle it on the areas in need. It was really bad, hard limescale & coffee concrete like!

I had an old toothbrush & small artists brush to agitate. For the really hard areas the cleaning solution just would not budge it so I resorted to push scraping it off using a wooden skewer. It worked but very slow work. No marks were left on the case so all was good.

It is very obvious to me that I couldn't have done this without stripping out the internals.


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