# EK43 Noise



## JKK (Feb 19, 2014)

Hello

Does anyone have any idea how to stop the random [louder] noise ocurring

with the EK ?

Usually it runs with a soft whirr, but about half the time it makes a loud noise.

I posted about this it a couple of years ago, but wondered if anyone else has worked

out a solution to stopping it.

After delving through piles of harista bustle postings, the only advice was

making sure there was plenty of lubricant on the prebreaker spindle, which

I have tried.

Thanks

-JKK


----------



## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

EKs seem to develop random noises which aren't anything to worry about. That said, might be an idea to upload a clip so we can see and hear what yours is doing.


----------



## JKK (Feb 19, 2014)

Thanks.

Although I have never heared aother EK's make any noise other than the soft whir.

After putting a lot of lube on, as recomended, the random noise is quite different, quieter.

I'll try and record something later.

-JKK


----------



## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

I think it's nothing to worry about, if you put the beans in does it go away?


----------



## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

I took the lube off in the end, it was interfering with alignment.


----------



## dan1502 (Sep 8, 2012)

It's normally the alignment of the shear plate. Using some proper lube on that and centering it usually sorts it and if it does it just switch it off then back on again. That's if I've got the right noise in mind.


----------



## JKK (Feb 19, 2014)

Xpenno said:


> I think it's nothing to worry about, if you put the beans in does it go away?


Sometimes it starts quiet, then noise after the beans.

Other times it starts with noise, then quiet after beans.

So lube or no lube ?

There was one post on the barista shuffle that suggested scratching up

the shear plate to gain friction to stop it moving about . . .

-JKK


----------



## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

JKK said:


> Sometimes it starts quiet, then noise after the beans.
> 
> Other times it starts with noise, then quiet after beans.
> 
> ...


Lubing the sides of the sheer plate would not affect alignment so would be the easiest option if that's where the noise is actually coming from.


----------



## bongo (Apr 20, 2014)

So, to touch wood, I seem to have solved this for my EK.

I hate the 'EK noise'. I put up with it, re-lubed the spindle (helped temporarily), but this was becoming a weekly occurrence which I couldn't be bothered with.

Having read about lubricating the shear plate i wondered about shimming it with some teflon. Using a sliver of teflon sheet I bought from lidl (other supermarkets are available), the fit of the naked shear plate was too good to get any teflon in across the full length of the shear plate.

However, I did notice that the fit in the centre, where contact is made with the spindle is relatively poor (potentially a factor related to shear plates fracturing?)

So i cut a 1cm x 2cm rectangle and folded it around the centre only. It went in easily and certainly reduced the play of the shear plate in the spindle.

I then simply filled the dead space around it with vasoline.

2 months in (still early days tbh) but the noise has not returned. My enjoyment of using the EK has returned.

I can take pics over the wkend if my description is not quite clear enough. But it's helped me, and I hope this is useful to someone else.


----------



## dan1502 (Sep 8, 2012)

I thought that would be your problem. However since I started using a small amount of the Kluberpaste rather than Vaseline the occurences of the loud noise have been very seldom. I might try this anyway though as maybe it will make it quieter in general use as it might centre it better than grease alone.


----------



## cambosheff (Jan 1, 2016)

What worked for me, which I stumbled across was scratching up the shear plate.


__
http://instagr.am/p/BKHr1jbgjBm/

I don't know if it's made the noise better or worse than what you're experiencing, but it's consistently the same noise. Might I also add I did have a spare just in case so it was no risk for me at the time.


----------



## dsc (Jun 7, 2013)

Personally I can't see how the shear plate ("insert" would be a better name at least for me as a "plate" indicates something massive in my dictionary) can make noises or affect anything apart from holding the burr mount on the shaft. It's effectively a wedge / pin which locks the shaft and burr mount together and it should be slightly oversized in order to be tapped into place and held there. Perhaps the issue here is not tapping the shear plate deep enough, so that it protrudes and makes interrupted contract with the front bearing?

FYI weird noises are quite often caused by coffee fragments getting stuck either under the arbor, or between the burrs and simply rubbing on something. At high speeds this can be anything from a quiet rub to a screeching noise and it can go away and come back often.

T.


----------



## dan1502 (Sep 8, 2012)

And yet it does. Try using no grease or a tiny bit of vaseline and this occurs much more frequently than if using the thicker grease (like Kluberpaste) and/or scratching the plate. Also it has to be placed centrally. The methods described hold it in position better. Switching it off then on again usually solves it but I've found it happend very rarey since using the Kluberpaste. Bear in mind that the plate is not oversized. The shaft is split and it slides in but without grease would be quite loose. A better fitting plate may well solve the problem too and I thing they are available as aftermarket parts.


----------



## dsc (Jun 7, 2013)

Ah right, forgot that on the EKs the burr holder is machined, on the Guatemalas for example it was a cast piece and the slot was usually undersized or at least had sharp uneven edges which would hold the plate well.

One option would be to use a shim to try and hold the plate better. That or weld on / solder on some extra thickness to make it sit tight. Or as you said buy / make an oversized plate.

T.


----------



## JKK (Feb 19, 2014)

Solved !!

A strip of MT craft tape ( fancy masking tape ) on one side of the shear plate seems to keep it tight.

-JKK


----------

