I've really enjoyed all the feedback received regarding this machine. One HB contributor who seems to enjoy remaining anonymous has really schooled me. I won’t use his name unless he posts publicly but everything in the next paragraphs are from his e-mails and really interesting so I want to share it, try and identify this HB member.

 

“This model launched about mcmlxxxviii/lxxxix and was only offered as a two group and a three group. It has the earlier of the two Pavoni eclipse replica groups. This is the time when all the e61 replicas launched because of patent expiration. Italian patents granted for a term of fourteen years and can be renewed once. The e61 patent was mcmlx, adding the twenty-eight years yields mcmlxxxviii.

”The j.r. muggs chain had these in all of their locations at one time.”


”local (Edit: The Bay Area) espresso equipment salesman Steve Grossman used to work for Jim Glang at crossroads. He told me this was Pavonis best group/machine at that time. He subsequently left crossroads to work for Mr. Espresso and then it was on to Acorto.

 

“I like the look of the "mark I" Pavoni eclipse replica groups as found on your machine better than the "mark II." for the small differences see the Ascaso & Grimac parts drawings at vendors like coffeeparts.com or espressoparts.com one curious thing about the Pavoni version is that la levetta works "backwards" from the original. With Pavoni up is off and down is on. La Levetta permits the operator complete control over the pre-infusion.”

 

“An interesting bit of history about the relationship betwixt Mr. Squarepants (Edit: My Astoria Lever Machine) e signore Desi (Edit: The Pavoni):

there used to be a bay area espresso equipment distributor called "espresso bar and bean" on the peninsula. They went out of business in mcmlxxxi and one of their salesmen, Jim Glang, began his own distributorship called crossroads. Jim sold a nello machine called cafethema (from e.s.i.) and Brasília. After about one to two years of operation he dropped them to go exclusively with Pavoni. The nanosecond he dropped the nello Carlo Di Ruocco of Mr. Espresso picked it up. Hence Mr. Squarepants' matriculation plate, and of course Desi is a Jim Glang machine.”

 

I learned a lot, did you? Our knowledgeable friend is going to be in Reno this May and hopefully will visit. I want to have a Lever VS. Pump machine shoot out (shot out?) but it would be kind of boring to get all wired comparing shots alone. So the company would be welcome. Anyone else in town around then and interested should drop me a line.

 

Ok, the History is History, on with the rebuild

 

I used a 45 minute hot citric acid soak for the passivation of my Astoria boiler after media blasting. For the Pavoni I’m trying a Six hour hot 50/50 h20 and vinegar soak.

The Astoria boiler turned bright purple after a few dozen heat cycles and after a few hundred is a nice golden brass color, I’m curious if the Pavoni boiler will eventually be different.  

    

 

Ice chests have great insulation (what a grasp of the obvious I have) and the boiler fit inside perfectly so I put the ice chest inside the bathtub (when the wife was at work of course) and filled it up with the solution. After the boiler was done and rinsed off I put the tub drain plug in, filled the tub with fresh hot water and the used vinegar solution for an hour. Our tub has not been this clean since it was new. The smell did take a few days to totally disappear though.  

 

Every piece I put back on this machine makes me happier. I cannot believe what a great looking chunk of metal it is. At numerous stages I thought it looked perfect and wanted to hook up the wires and start pulling shots. Who needs a cup-warmer, side panels or group backing plate? I want to put open headers on this thing and drive it around town.

 

                                                                                    

The exterior color scheme is stock, Red and Black. The rusty unpainted upright frame and the sight glass backing plate I had powder-coated silver. I also had the Aluminum half round boiler end brackets done in Black to try and prevent future electrolysis. The boiler supports I had done black as well.

 


                                                                                  

I finally got bored trying to remove the micro-scratches on the polished stainless. Its one of the “Patina” elements  I’m going to live with.

                                                                                       

 

In part one I was pretty cavalier about re-assembly and how easy it would be. Oh how I suffered getting the HX intakes back on. For future multiple group machines I’m going to scribe #’s on every single fitting, compression nut and bracket.

 

I knew I was missing the pipe going from the top of the level tube to the boiler and went un-sucefully looking for parts today. Hopefully someone in town has something that will work. I have two compression nuts the correct thread pitch and could go with 3\8 copper tubing and ferrules but only found 10’ lengths available; I need about 6”.

I'm done with the rebuild. I had an issue with a Heat Exchanger leaking into the boiler so I am replacing it with the second machines until I can get it repaired. Below are pictures of assembly.

 

Wiring is always fun.

 

 

I am still missing two steam valve knobs but here it is done and complete. I like it.... Now what am I going to do with it? Three feet long, Two feet deep, 220V, Remote pump = I'm screwed. Looks like I have a really nice espresso machine for my office (Read basement).