# First clean MaraX



## Burnzy

Hey,

probably going to drop the shower screen and gasket tomorrow for the first time and give a good soak. 
Should i chemical back flush before or after this? Would it be worth waiting until i get some lube to do the cam? Or is that not necessary every time? First E61 so wanna make sure i do it all correct. Thank you! 👍🏼


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## Northern_Monkey

@Burnzy - Wait to chemical backflush until you have the right lubricant, I do it like every 6 weeks since I backflush with water each day and drop the shower screen every 5days or so.

Do you have a big adjustable spanner with soft/non marking jaws or electrical/masking tape to protect the chrome?

@DavecUK put a great e61 cleaning guide online ages ago, really worth a read.

http://coffeetime.wikidot.com/e61-lubrication


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## JamesMac

Burnzy said:


> Hey,
> 
> probably going to drop the shower screen and gasket tomorrow for the first time and give a good soak.
> Should i chemical back flush before or after this? Would it be worth waiting until i get some lube to do the cam? Or is that not necessary every time? First E61 so wanna make sure i do it all correct. Thank you! 👍🏼


 I'm just about to do the same. I backflush everyday with water, drop the screen every 3 days and soak the shower screen once a week in Pulycaf and then backflush it after with water. Squeaky clean


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## Burnzy

Yeah i back flush with water religiously after every coffee, yet to drop the screen, so ill do that tomorrow and wait till i have the lube before i chemical back flush .

Does anyone have a link to the lube i need please? (Edit, dw seen it in Daves guide)

Thank you


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## Burnzy

And ill grab suitable spanner, good shout!


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## Northern_Monkey

I like these kind as they open wide enough to remove the larger mushroom as well and come with soft jaws.










Look at this on eBay
Rothenberger Adjustable Wide Jaw Wrench 10''


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## cuprajake

I thought back flush with water was pointless??


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## Burnzy

Cuprajake said:


> I thought back flush with water was pointless??


 Ooh i dont know, i've read thats its good to do it? I know very little about the internal workings of an espresso machine.


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## Northern_Monkey

Cuprajake said:


> I thought back flush with water was pointless??


 Not in my experience, really helps shift out coffee residues and particles from the group head and back/front of the shower screen in between you dropping it to clean it.

Why don't you try and see how you get on? One way to see would be to pull some brew water through the head to check for particles and see what it tastes like? You don't want it to be brackish or have old coffee in there if you can help it.


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## Kensf2

How often do you guys clean the reservoir tank and what do you use?

I drop my shower scream every two days or so and soak the portafilter and basket every week in Puly.

I've been back flushing with water every week but maybe I'm not doing it enough. I've done one chemical flush since getting the machine a few months ago. I bought molykote lubricant after advice on the forum.

I thought the daily maintenance would be a bit annoying before I got the machine but I don't really mind it. It's quite satisfying and you know when you pull your shot the machine is clean and fresh.


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## MediumRoastSteam

Kensf2 said:


> How often do you guys clean the reservoir tank and what do you use?
> 
> I drop my shower scream every two days or so and soak the portafilter and basket every week in Puly.
> 
> I've been back flushing with water every week but maybe I'm not doing it enough. I've done one chemical flush since getting the machine a few months ago. I bought molykote lubricant after advice on the forum.
> 
> I thought the daily maintenance would be a bit annoying before I got the machine but I don't really mind it. It's quite satisfying and you know when you pull your shot the machine is clean and fresh.


 Give the tank a good wash and rinse once a month 👍


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## Kensf2

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Give the tank a good wash and rinse once a month 👍


 What do you use to clean it with? I've heard some people use vinegar or are there specific tank cleaning detergents?


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## MediumRoastSteam

I personally use washing up liquid and warm water. I have not died yet. Some people use Milton tablets.


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## DavecUK

I think Milton every 3-6 months can be good on plastics....In fact I do need to buy some more.


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## Ioan

Kensf2 said:


> What do you use to clean it with? I've heard some people use vinegar or are there specific tank cleaning detergents?


 I use washing liquid and warm water to clean the tank every month. For the shower screen, backflush with water everyday and clean weekly with puly caff.

I have not done a chemical bachflush yet.


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## cuprajake

Since getting my e61 machine i now :

run water after a shot, then wipe, then backflush with water. Daily

shower screen once a week

i make 2 brews a day.


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## skylark

There are varying sizes of adjustable wrench available, what's needed to do the chemical side of things?

Anyone know the dimensions of the wrenches needed, i understand that ideally two wrences are better than one and a spanner, or two spanners if i'm doing the job 😆


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## DavecUK

This one comes with plastic jaw covers, it's what I use...under a tenner delivered.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amtech-Adjustable-Pipe-Wrench-Am-Tech/dp/B0186JUOA2/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=amtech+wrench&qid=1602950985&sr=8-2


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## Doram

DavecUK said:


> This one comes with plastic jaw covers, it's what I use...under a tenner delivered.
> 
> https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amtech-Adjustable-Pipe-Wrench-Am-Tech/dp/B0186JUOA2/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=amtech+wrench&qid=1602950985&sr=8-2


 Thanks for this! Just ordered one of those from eBay (even cheaper than amazon - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-IN-1-HEAVY-DUTY-WIDE-MOUTH-WRENCH-SPANNER-PIPE-ADJUSTABLE-OPENING-AMTECH-NEW/372944651622?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649). Will probably return the 10" Rothenberger I got a few days ago and hadn't used yet - it is huge, and almost 3 times more expensive!


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## DavecUK

I actually have 3 of them, I mentioned to a friend that I was always losing mine and a week later I got a package with 2 pairs inside


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## skylark

thanks @DavecUK... do i need two to do the job and do i really need to drop the bottom half of the the 'plumbing' as the lelit guy does in his vid?


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## DavecUK

One is enough. With the lever in the neutral (mid) position it should come out, and be able to wiggle back in with the handle on.

If not, just loosen the bottom of the preinfusion chamber a tad. Once cam is in, take lever off a slide the barrel over the lubed cam stem.


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## Doram

skylark said:


> thanks @DavecUK... do i need two to do the job and do i really need to drop the bottom half of the the 'plumbing' as the lelit guy does in his vid?


 You only need one spanner, and you can do the cam without the bottom bit, just push the spindle in in an angle and your done.


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## skylark

Doram said:


> You only need one spanner, and you can do the cam without the bottom bit, just push the spindle in in an angle and your done.


 So what was that guy, Mauro (?) doing in his youtube vid, seemed a lot more to it than just the cam.


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## Doram

skylark said:


> So what was that guy, Mauro (?) doing in his youtube vid, seemed a lot more to it than just the cam.


 He loosened the bottom bit so that the lower pin will not push against the cam so it will be easier to put it back in. But you can just push that pin down against the spring and get the cam in. It works either way.


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## Jason11

I've only removed and lubed the lever cam once so far although it is due again now and found it easy enough to put the lever back without loosening the preinfusion chamber. It just requires a firm wiggle/push.


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## rxmnt

Just a quick question, why do you soak your shower screens in puly caff? Wouldn't scrubbing / brushing then with soap and warm water be enough, same for baskets?


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## Doram

rxmnt said:


> Just a quick question, why do you soak your shower screens in puly caff? Wouldn't scrubbing / brushing then with soap and warm water be enough, same for baskets?


 Screens and baskets have nooks and crannies that might have coffee oils trapped in, so soaking can help dissolve and get rid of them. I assume that if you regularly clean your shower and baskets, and don't let the oils cake in, a good brushing with soap and warm water will be okay. I take out and clean the basket after every shot, and drop the shower screen for cleaning every 2-3 days max (because it's so easy and quick to do and I enjoy seeing everything sparkling). When I have a container with Puly/Cafiza solution, I drop in the shower screen and basket as well. Not because they really need it, but because it's there and why not - it might get out something I can't see, and there is no harm in doing so.


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## Kensf2

How often, if ever, have people disassembled the mushroom head on their machine? Is it necessary in routine maintenance if everything is in working order? I'm just wondering if I should do this after running a chemical flush along with the cam?


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## DavecUK

Kensf2 said:


> How often, if ever, have people disassembled the mushroom head on their machine? Is it necessary in routine maintenance if everything is in working order? I'm just wondering if I should do this after running a chemical flush along with the cam?


 You *don't need to do that as part of regular routine maintenance*. If you use good water perhaps not even annually, unless you use your machine a lot. I check mine once per year, you should do yours after 3 years and then every 2 years, make sure you have some spare white teflon washers just in case. It's the large nut you undo and slide the entire mushroom assembly out (unless you suspect the gauze is blocked in the upper chamber). You are doing this to examine the O ring, lubricate it (Molycote 111). If the O'ring around the mushroom is damaged, you need to replace it. It definitely needs to form a good seal for the group to work correctly.


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## rxmnt

So, I just used puly caff for the first time on my Mara X, did it according to the manual (10 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 10 times). What surprised me was that pretty much immediately, the E61 lever began to squeak and became harder to lift. Does this really mean I have to disassemble and lubricate the cam lever weekly?

Also, after cleaning, the water pretty much ran through my IMS shower screen in a single stream, whereas it usually would disperse into single droplets. Is that normal?


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## DavecUK

rxmnt said:


> So, I just used puly caff for the first time on my Mara X, did it according to the manual (10 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 10 times). What surprised me was that pretty much immediately, the E61 lever began to squeak and became harder to lift. Does this really mean I have to disassemble and lubricate the cam lever weekly?
> 
> Also, after cleaning, the water pretty much ran through my IMS shower screen in a single stream, whereas it usually would disperse into single droplets. Is that normal?


 Don't backflush with cleaner weekly, do it every couple of months.


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