La Marzocco over haul ?
I picked up a La Marzocco ( SB70/2003 model) at an auction. I took it to the local repair guy. He says it needs a pump, de limes, CPU, portafilters, heaters, or about 2000.00 in parts and 2500 in labors. So I think I will tickle it.
Are there any problem parts that should be replaced because I am in there and do not care to take it apart again, maybe a switch, control pad or ?
Are there mods that improve the performance? Parts suppliers and with great prices and super service?
I have overhaul car engines and did all kinds of work on cars. Has anyone jumped in to an overhaul of an espresso machine with good result? Is there a factory or other repair manual?
I am nuts?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Sabol on
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Yep, you're nuts but not that nuts. What you want to do is absolutely doable. I would recommend going to the La Marzocco website and collecting the manuals and schematics and spend a bit of time going through those before you get into the machine. At that point I'd recommend that you trace the water path through the machine and identify the cold water supply, the hot water delivery, and the steam delivery parts of the system. Most of the rebuild elbow grease comes from dealing with what the water does to the various parts over the years of use and knowing that part of the system will help you identify what parts of the machine need attention. Of course, the hydraulic system is mated to the electrical control and heating systems. So I would spend a little time tracing the two voltage lines through the machine and identifying the valves and temperature/pressure control devices as they relate to the cold water, hot water, and steam systems. The places where the electricity is used to control the water systems get the most use and are the electrical parts most prone to failure. After you spend a little time familiarizing yourself with the guts of the machine we can get into the particulars of a rebuild. You should be able to do this in a week of evenings and a weekend once you have the schematics. It's really pretty easy and not nearly as complicated as car engines but the basics are very similar. Several of us here on bX do this kind of thing for a living so don't be shy if you have a question.
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I should clarify that the familiarization will take a week or so. The whole rebuild, I would guess, will take six weeks or so, when you factor in the time it takes to order and wait for parts and assuming you've got a day job and normal life stuff to attend to, as well. And you'll probably be $1000-$1500 into it by the time you're done, depending on what needs to be replaced.
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Permalink Reply by Coffee Mills on
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Wow. You have chosen a serious dual boiler project. Affordable parts and detailed instructions are available at Coffee Mills as we specialize in La Marzocco machines. Automobile repair knowledge doesn't always apply to fixing an espresso machine.
-coffeemills@gmail.com
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Permalink Reply by Jacob Casella on
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Agree with everything Mike said! If you're not afraid of an internal combustion engine, you will probably be able to figure out an espresso machine, it'll just take some time and parts. Very different, but much simpler really.
Basically they're just boilers (which might need to be descaled) and an electrical system (chunks of which might need to be replaced). With a parts diagram and a basic knowledge of how they work, you can figure it out.
Make a connection with a local tech or roaster who sells machines, see if they can get you parts and/or advice when needed. Espressoparts.com basically sells all the parts, you could probably build a machine piecemeal from there, but you may be able to find better prices. Some parts you can get generically for better prices (Procon pumps from Grainger instead of ordering from afar etc).
Once you're mostly operational, Marzocco's tech line is great for helping you scientific-method your way to what else needs fixed.
In terms of mods to improve performance, you can switch the groups to Piero caps if they're not already. If it's not already, you can switch the heat control to a PID system--if you need new electrical/CPU anyway, might as well go with that.
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Permalink Reply by Mike McGinness on
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While espressoparts.com good for emergencies I buy most my parts through http://nuovaricambi.com For instance LM group gaskets $1.40, Sirai pstat $39 etc. You'll need to setup a wholesale account to get those prices - min order only $100. Actually once you setup a wholesale account there is no minimum order. Just that their online "wholesale" prices are automatically cut in half once the cart hits $200 - and suddenly magically it's $100 - so those @list $2.80 group gaskets become $1.40 etc.
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