Jake's Futurmat Rimini Espresso Machine Rebuild

[grover]

Jake.....on the upper rear heat exchanger ,fitting to tank connection, what type of a gasket did you use? I am rebuilding a Futermat Ariat and that fitting has a bevel undernieth with straight pipe threads (british pipe threads to port) I believe that is what they call that connection. I finally found it on a website that deals with "Indy" type racing engines. My machine had teflon tape wrapped heavily around the beveled portion and it leaked. So I would like to replace it with the proper seal. Thanks.

It is the white gasket material showing in your picture.

[shakin_jake]

Jake

I like a guy who can get away with espresso machine rebuild in the kitchen.... If I tried that I'd be expelled from future entry into the kitchen.... although I did get away with having my Sono in the kitchen for a few years

The machine is looking good!  Keep up the good work.

~~~~Helen has no problem what so ever with me using the counter top to the right of the sink as a place to assemble the machine, so long as it looks reasonably tidy, which it does.  I don't leave unassembled parts lying about.  What she has objected to is any plans I have for drilling a hole in the counter to run water in and waste from the drip tray out, which is why I'm going to set the machine up on the right end furthest away from the sink, so the two lines (water in, waste out) can run parallel with each other around the front of the counter and behind the sofa to a Flo Jet pump,

 and I guess somthing for the waste to drain into...haven't figured out what the waste container will look like but I have an idea although it will be out of sight, out of mind, she wont like it
Here's an awful photo-

of the counter top area as viewed from the living room.  The couch you see, the water bottle I'll place it between the counter and sofa...that's the idea anyway


Jake
Reddick Fla.
"To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."
 

[shakin_jake]

After following this thread, I feel like flying south and being there for the first pull.

Congrats -- just a bit further -- you can finish this.

B|Java

~~~As cold as it has been here lately (froze last two nights, day time highs in the low 50's), I know you wont be coming to north central Fla. for the weather=:-)


Jake
Reddick Fla.
"To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."

[shakin_jake]

Jake.....on the upper rear heat exchanger ,fitting to tank connection, what type of a gasket did you use? I am rebuilding a Futermat Ariat and that fitting has a bevel undernieth with straight pipe threads (british pipe threads to port) I believe that is what they call that connection. I finally found it on a website that deals with "Indy" type racing engines. My machine had teflon tape wrapped heavily around the beveled portion and it leaked. So I would like to replace it with the proper seal. Thanks.

It is the white gasket material showing in your picture.

~~~grover, FWIW, I did not remove that fitting from my boiler, at any time.  Looking at the threaded area with the 'white stuff' around the threads, it is most definitely teflon tape and more than likely was placed there by the factory techs when the machine was assembled in Barcelona Spain

IMO, if you have water/pressure escaping from this threaded area, take it apart, clean the threads well, and re-wrap it with teflon tape.  If you have already done so and it still leaks, using another layer of teflon tape

Again, from what I see on my machine, the factory never used a proper gasket there, they only wrapped it with teflon tape, and I think somehow through the years, your joint has leaked and only needs to be re-wrapped with more teflon tape to solve your leak problem

May I suggest you join the Yahoo BUG (Bunn Uesr's Group)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BUG-is-Bunn/

David Mankin and Tex (both GCBC members) are the group owners.  The group was formed to assist owners of the mighty Bunn ES-1A, an espresso machine built in Barcelona Spain by the commercial arm of Gaggia for Bunn.  All commercial Gaggia espresso machines owners are welcomed, which you are with your Futurmat Ariete.  There are a few of us over there (BUG) with Futurmat machines.  The group is a wonderful resource.  Please contact Tex or David if you have any questions about the group but I can attest it is more than worthwhile to join as it is a great resource for owners of commercial Gaggia espresso machines


Jake
Reddick Fla.
"To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."

[grover]

Thank you Jake.........I found a place that sells white teflon o-rings among all the others and they are only a couple of bucks so I may try that also. That seemed to be the only fitting on the machine that did not list a gasket so what you are saying must be true!

http://www.sisweb.com/vacuum/o-rings/ptfe.htm     here is the link for teflon o-rings

[peter]

What about good old Rectorseal, either with or without teflon tape?

[shakin_jake]

Thank you Jake.........I found a place that sells white teflon o-rings among all the others and they are only a couple of bucks so I may try that also. That seemed to be the only fitting on the machine that did not list a gasket so what you are saying must be true!

http://www.sisweb.com/vacuum/o-rings/ptfe.htm     here is the link for teflon o-rings

~~~~grover,  I'm only taking a stab at what the factory used when I say it looks like teflon tape.  I'm not certain they used teflon tape but it sure looks like teflon tape was used. 

Here's another option- email Larry Hudoff and ask him.  Larry is the rep in the U.S. for Quality Espresso Spain, the manufacturer of your Futurmat espresso machine.  Larry's email addy is sales@qualityespresso.com


FWIW, I have purchased parts from Larry from my Futurmat Rimini.  He shares warehouse space in Miami and carries quite a few parts for our machines.  If there is something you need and it isn't in Miami, Larry will have it shipped from Gaggia in Barcelona

Larry can also phone Gaggia engineers in Spain and ask them questions if he doesn't have the answer, such as what the factory used to seal the joint you are speaking about.  No problem.  He's a great resource

And if I wasn't clear earlier in this post, you can buy any part you need for your Futurmat from Larry, so long as the factory still has parts in stock (in Spain) for it.  It will help if you have the part number in advance.  I happen to have a file with all of the part numbers for my machine.  This file was forwarded to me from a fellow in England.  I posted this same file in the 'Files' section of BUG



Jake
Reddick Fla.
"To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."
 

[grover]

Thanks for all the info Jake. The lady who owns the Futermat has purchased her grinders for her store from Larry.....you are right he is a good guy to work with.

Peter.....The straight british pipe treads do not make their seal on the threaded portion....they compress on the flange, some with an undercut bevel which uses different o-rings depending on the application, some just flat which could use a copper washer. Britton was the primary power over there so they all pretty much stuck with their manufacturing standards.

[shakin_jake]

Well, it's been 3 weeks since I posted to my Rimini thread.  Wait a minute...I think I warned everyone I'm a procrastinator=:-)  Looking at the dates of these pics, I shot the pics around the 10th of December, about the last time I worked on my Rimini.  None the less, I got both the hot water and the steam valve and their pipe work (between the boiler and the valve) installed, yet these pics don't reflect all of that work, in that both valves are installed.  I have good excuses for being truant with this project, I think=:-)





The last pic above, shows how I used a ny-ty to keep the spring and two washers properly oriented, when I originally disassembled the valve.  At the time I thought it was important to note orientation and what better way than to make a loop with the parts using a ny-ty?  the two washers and the nut to the left of the ny-ty group is the washers and nut that hold the valve to the trim plate...threading onto the front of the trim plate, not shown (that they're fastened)in these photos

Okay, this may be one of the reasons I have been dawdling (lately) in getting the Rimini back together...Looking at the date of the photo (12/15/10), that's the date my newest espresso machine arrived at Casa de Jake, a Quick Mill Vetrano.  Even though I've had this machine to pull shots with for a few weeks now, I'm still kind of excited about it.  The Vetrano is an HX, has an E-61 group (manual lever), rotary pump, 1.6 litre insulated boiler, 1400 watt heating element so it can be run from a 15 AMP circuit.  No water reservour on this one, it's strictly plumb in water.  As you can see, it pulls a really nice shot

This was the first shot I pulled with this espresso machine.  I checked the group pressure first.  The techs at Chris Coffee must had more water pressure than my Flo Jet pump puts out as I had to bump up the pressure a bar to hit 8.5 bars pressure.  Coffee used to pull this shot is a dry processed Ethiopian I got from SM's last spring (Haile Selassie Sidamo).  Note the nice mottling on top of the plentiful crema.  This last roast was the end of my stash on this one.  I miss this SO already.  Was nice drunk straight or used in a milk drink


Jake
Reddick Fla.
I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people
listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard
University. -- William F. Buckley, Jr.

 

[mp]

Nice new machine Jake ... and good work on the Futurmat!