'83 Cremina, Rebuild 101

[Tex]

Man up & source the parts yourself. Seriously, part of the fun of redoing old machines is the intimacy of knowing each and every part that goes into them. I can't explain it better than saying it's the difference between being a parts replacer at a Chevy dealership or wrenching on a top fuel dragster.

[vberch]

Bold Java,

I rebuilt most of the seals in my second Cremina using Orphan Espresso parts. It's not a huge deal unless you uncover additional issues. I am in Milwaukee, so feel free to reach out for a friendly hand.

Here's an invite to learn together.

I have been thinking whether I should flip or if I should restore the '83 Cremina I snagged yesterday.  After conferring with Milo and Peter offline, I have decided to use this as a learning project.  There won't be a proportionate return on invested capital but rather an education as a return on the time spent.

Levers are straight forward, no electronics.  Though I got a C in metal shop and a C- in woodworking, I am prepared to tackle this.  I have an '82 Cremina that can set there and serve as a model if I get stuck.  You are welcome to learn along with me if you are a novice or if you are a mechanical engineer, I am going to lean on you.

Two rebuild kits at Orphan Espresso.  Ouch.
^  Group - $66
^  Entire - $130

Spent some time with the maintenance supervisor at work.  He suggests:
^  Taking my time
^  Taking photos as I go
^  Definitely going powder coating for better adhesion and long term endurance
^  Buying some C-clip pliers (I will need them anyways for my Cremina) -- look in the welding area
^  Not buying the kits out of the gate.

If the o-ring or gasket comes in contact with the water, need to ensure it is NSF for potable water systems.  If it comes in contact with heat, make sure the material can handle the heat.  Use Dow 111 - very thin coats.

He suggests not buying the kits.  We have a huge, huge plumbing supply house in town.  If they don't have it, he will scrum for the part.  If he doesn't have it, I am going to try McMaster Carr (often packets of 25/100).  I am going to:

^  Disassemble, documenting with pictures.
^  Buy an electronic caliper.
^  Rid the unit of the asbestos containing material (ACM).
^  Take the entire set of gaskets and o-rings to the hardware house and see how many they can source.
^  Seek out the gasket material. Maintenance supervisor (he is HVAC) said to pay attention to gaskets for material composition and heat issues.  OEM gaskets aren't needed.  If I obtain the right gasket material, he has punches that he can use -- just bring the group or boiler in.

Slow and steady.  Stay tuned.  My goal is to complete by November 3rd.

B|Java

[sontondaman]

I'm watching this thread with great interest. I just got myself an ebay Cremina 67 (after missing out this machine that BoldJava got locally in Chicago being a heartbeat too slow) and will likely consult this for reference.