Green Coffee Buying Club
Coffee Discussion boards => Hardware & Equipment => Topic started by: Joe on June 30, 2016, 03:39:26 PM
-
I'll place some photos soon. I recently purchased a used Pasquini Livia 90 for around $550. I did this because I used to own a Bezerra 99 and my Friend Chris had a couple of Livia 90's that I had missed out on purchasing from him. Lesson learned if Chris offers to sell me anything I just buy it. I recently bought a sony a6000 for my daughters upcoming trip to france and Switzerland, and I have bought my macbook air from him...all at killer prices. Back on point, my espresso machine worked great only complaint I had was the pump was really noisy, and when pressure built up it didn't get quiet like most pumps it became very loud. So I pulled the machine apart a few times, secured pipes and placed cardboard in between potential contact points....slight improvements in noise. Finally i pulled it apart and read a guide on rebuilding the Ulka pump. It's very simple but there are a lot of parts. Despite my descaling the pump had rust and was somewhat disgusting, when I opened it up fully I noticed that one of the springs was now two springs...
I looked into buying a replacement spring but that seemed almost good money for bad...ended up buying a pump from Amazon with free one day shipping. Pump is quiet and powerful now..I also visited the local home-brew place and replaced one of the water lines that had better days.
The new pump is a big improvement.
-
Some photos of my pump diagnosis.
1. Pump removed
2. Removed 2 screws
-
3. Removal of the cam lock exposing the 1st broken and rusted spring. Springs and rust was cleaned prior to picture..imagine brown everything.
4. More dissasembly
5. Further disassembly watch out for the small broken springs and little plastic bb which is the actual pump.
-
Because of the rust damage, age of pump, and broken springs I decided $40 with 1-day prime Amazon shipping was my best option.
-
I will have to remember this since my Livia is still going strong.
-
I will have to remember this since my Livia is still going strong.
it's a well built machine. I am guessing the month of sitting didn't do the pump any favors. However if your machine is any sort of loud the pump replacement is nice. I want to do the thing that removes the hydro vapor lock, where the pressure drops as soon as you open the steam for the first time. My unit gets it bad.
-
Im hopping this isn't a stupid question: When my OPV releases after turning the flow switch off, it sort of screeches, like someone dragging a finger across saran wrap. I assumed this was just the spring in the OPV going bad. Is this the correct assumption?
-
Im hopping this isn't a stupid question: When my OPV releases after turning the flow switch off, it sort of screeches, like someone dragging a finger across saran wrap. I assumed this was just the spring in the OPV going bad. Is this the correct assumption?
Doesn't sound good. If your budget allows I would replace and see if it solves the problem.
-
Seeing that makes me even more grateful for the soft water at our house.
-
Im hopping this isn't a stupid question: When my OPV releases after turning the flow switch off, it sort of screeches, like someone dragging a finger across saran wrap. I assumed this was just the spring in the OPV going bad. Is this the correct assumption?
It was with mine, plus the fact that the brass pressure bobbin on the end was skewed. Replacing the internals was the cure many years ago. The problem hasn't returned and this was a fairly simple/inexpensive fix.
Joe: would you mind providing the order details of your new pump? Mine is 11 yrs old and pretty noisy. I've fiddled with it repeatedly and its so much noisier than that on the Silvia I briefly had.
The Livia has been a workhorse for me (2-4 shots/day for 11 years), on 6 hrs a day via timer. I have thought about an upgrade but see comments about problems from some of the cheaper newer rotary pump/double boiler machines and for the money, I'm good. I can't justify $5K on a similar bulletproof replacement.
-
Seeing that makes me even more grateful for the soft water at our house.
I had a whole house soft water system. I liked it overall but it has its own problems.
-
Brian-
-
Thx for the link!
-
Thx for the link!
Yeah no problem. FYI a procon rotary pump unless used daily will be an often replaced part at about $100 per unit. Or you can have them rebuilt for like $80. But unless you are a coffee shop count on every other year replacement of the rotary pump. They seize and fail often. I have resurrected a few but the performance is not so great on those that have died before.
Resist the upgrade, I have returned from a long journey and I am not going back anytime soon. Livia is a workhorse when you need it and a home espresso machine when you need that too.
-
Thx for the link!
Yeah no problem. FYI a procon rotary pump unless used daily will be an often replaced part at about $100 per unit. Or you can have them rebuilt for like $80. But unless you are a coffee shop count on every other year replacement of the rotary pump. They seize and fail often. I have resurrected a few but the performance is not so great on those that have died before.
Resist the upgrade, I have returned from a long journey and I am not going back anytime soon. Livia is a workhorse when you need it and a home espresso machine when you need that too.
Those are both great points. I've thought about doing a rotary pump mod but then return to the mantra, "if it aint' broke, don't fix it".
And regarding a whole replacement: I've followed threads over the past 10 years about the comings and subsequent goings of a raft of machines. Have remained grateful to have gotten a solid, capable machine to begin with. Not the best, but I've learned to pull excellent shots. The longevity/value curve is important.
I just wish I could get around that 10:30 fan thing in my Behmor or I probably wouldn't want to replace it.
-
If anyone watching this thread is still looking for a Pasquini Livia 90..I am looking at a Ponte Vecchio Lusso for sale in my hood soon. If I end up getting it I will make sure to pass along whichever one the Pasquini or the Lusso that I feel should make the rounds at cost. so around $550 + shipping+ $50 new pump so $600 +shipping. Waiting for a call back so nothing set yet.
-
If anyone watching this thread is still looking for a Pasquini Livia 90..I am looking at a Ponte Vecchio Lusso for sale in my hood soon. If I end up getting it I will make sure to pass along whichever one the Pasquini or the Lusso that I feel should make the rounds at cost. so around $550 + shipping. Waiting for a call back so nothing set yet.
What, what, what? Another try at a lever? Haha
-
If anyone watching this thread is still looking for a Pasquini Livia 90..I am looking at a Ponte Vecchio Lusso for sale in my hood soon. If I end up getting it I will make sure to pass along whichever one the Pasquini or the Lusso that I feel should make the rounds at cost. so around $550 + shipping. Waiting for a call back so nothing set yet.
What, what, what? Another try at a lever? Haha
On my way to pick it up. John says this will work for me. I trust John.
-
So far i have had some promising shots. I am seeing which technique i like best. The steaming works great already made a nice triple heart that will make John ...jelly. I love single hole steam wands for latte art.
Pasquini might be up for grabs for those who might be interested..feel free to pm me.
-
Thread resurrection here... I was working on a Gaggia today that had low pump pressure. I expected to find a broken spring in the Ulka pump like Joe had mentioned earlier in this thread or a bunch of sediment gumming stuff up somewhere, but instead I found something I hadn't seen before. The threaded plastic keeper at the outlet of the pump (item 3 in the picture) had backed out enough so that the reverse flow check valve wasn't able to work correctly. Screwing it back in and snugging it up brought the pressure back to normal. I love it when I don't have to order any parts to fix stuff.
-
Your pump looked like a brand new one compared to mine. Good fix!