# Ok I’m beat. HELP!!!!



## Gilly (Jul 29, 2019)

Ok people; trying to remove Lelit portafilter handle for my new Walnut replacement.

Youtube makes it look easy peasy ; using heat gun I cannot nudge the thing to come off, only succeeding to melt the plastic.

How's it really done?


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

vice and mole grips


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

I think you've got the right idea. Can you cut away the bit that threads on to the portafilter and apply heat to the exposed bit? If you go the brute force route you'll obviously need to be padding the vice and wrench.


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## Marocchino (May 1, 2019)

Rob1 said:


> If you go the brute force route you'll obviously need to be padding the vice and wrench.


 Just an armchair thought, it may also help the problem of gripping in the vice by twisting off the spouts on the bottom of the portafilter first.


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## 9719 (Mar 29, 2015)

First four steps in the link below may help, failing that a friendly local garage, if its safe might be able to help...

https://kostverlorenvaart.blogspot.com/2014/07/tije-turning-londinium-portafilter-into.html?q=tije&m=1


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## Doram (Oct 12, 2012)

I removed the spout of the Lelit PF and it was extremely tight - much much harder to remove than it was on a Rancilio. An improvised vice to hold and knocking it off with a mallet did it eventually (but then I couldn't screw it all the way back on by hand, so had to do the reverse and decided it will stay on permanently). Might have had Loctite on it, but I didn't see signs of it when it eventually came off. The moral of the story is brut force, Lelit make it tight.


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

@Gilly When I removed mine I used wooden blocks and clamps to hold it down onto the bench. Used some cardboard to protect the finish.

The hex fitting inside the handle is a 14mm Allen key if I remember correctly, I used one I had already from bicycle free hub changing with a foot long pipe as a cheater bar. Took enough force to break my cheapo workmate alike wooden top pressing down. No idea why they use such strong thread lock 🙄

I would suggest as it is already damaged using a 12" pair of water pump pliers or mole grips to grab the solid bit of the handle and drop your weight onto it. I found it easier clamped on a horizontal surface than vertical in the vice I have.


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## AlanSky (Dec 29, 2020)

It defeated me, I just got a bottomless PF with a wooden handle as I couldn't get the original one off....









If you find a way I can get it off without a vice and arms like Garth please let me know


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I wish manufacturers wouldn't use any thread compound on portafilter handles....I live in hope

P.S. ACS don't....I got one to stop using it.


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

@AlanSky - Unless you are mates with Eddie Hall and he owes you a favour, definitely going to need some mechanical assistance in terms of a vice and impact driver/massive set of mole grips...


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## AlanSky (Dec 29, 2020)

Northern_Monkey said:


> @AlanSky - Unless you are mates with Eddie Hall and he owes you a favour, definitely going to need some mechanical assistance in terms of a vice and impact driver/massive set of mole grips...


 In that case I'll have a walnut handle up for sale 🙄


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## Gilly (Jul 29, 2019)

AlanSky said:


> It defeated me, I just got a bottomless PF with a wooden handle as I couldn't get the original one off....
> 
> View attachment 50729
> 
> ...


 Do I look like Eddie Hall???


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## Gilly (Jul 29, 2019)

So; all I've succeeded in doing is damaging a lovely new plastic handle that I just fancied as a Walnut version; looked at the 'only' YouTube video where it unscrews wonderfully after a 100c heat attack, to now assume that the video had a 'prop' PF that was already loosened.

The moral of the story is, never assume anything is easy and straightforward. Even with a huge vice and mole grips you would still have to be Eddie Hall to have a chance here; I'm not Eddie Hall.

Sod the Walnut vanity; EDESIA; would you like a return??!!.


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

FWIW i'd just melt the handle with flames or a big wattage soldering iron; outside as the fumes could be nasty...quick clean up of the residue on the portafilter and you're ready for the Walnut 😊


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

@Rumpelstiltskin - The stud will still likely be stuck in the brass portafilter body, which means a vice and mole grips again as the replacement handle has an epoxy glued in stud already in most cases...

@Gilly I should have a spare Lelit matt finish one knocking round if you do ever remove it, needs a new end cap though.


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

@Northern_Monkey ahhh not quite what i pictured it looking like.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

THE SAGA CONTINUES. This is not a job for the faint hearted.

I received this P/F from Gilly to try and remove the handle. Although it had been heated before I presumed the threadlok had reset.

After applying heat, fixed it in vice and applied 14 mm hex key,eventually it began to rotate BUT it was the plastic handle NOT the fixing, it was still locked to the P/F.

Changed to a long knuckle bar and HD strap wrench, this squeezed the handle and rotated it but the handle split open exposing a 19 mm headed bolt.

Tried this with a 19 mm ring spanner, no chance  .

Immersed PF in water as heat sink and applied gas torch to PF shank, back to the vice + ring spanner= still no movement.

Back to the water and gas torch, back to vice with 19 mm socket and long knuckle bar, it squeaked, more back and forth rotating and eventually out it came.

New handle now fitted :good:  .

Now returned to Gilly


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

it's why I asked ACS not to use thread locker on their portafilter handles for the Minima.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

DavecUK said:


> it's why I asked ACS not to use thread locker on their portafilter handles for the Minima.


 It makes things a real P I A. There are also less permanent thread locker's


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Burn it


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I do not know why any manufacturer feels the need to thread lock the bloody handles onto portafilters. I've never had one come undone and injure me because it wasn't superglued on.


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

@El carajillo - Bonus points for doing a nice thing and not breaking your bench or tools.

Hoping you didn't thread lock the flash new walnut one on autopilot? 😉

No idea why they use such a strong kind when the thread is so massive on it.


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