La Pavoni Professional PL Service/Seal replacement (zero experience) EDIT in description. 

2 years ago fully serviced my 20 year old Pavoni Europiccola with the assistance of You Tube - total strip back & replacement as necessary. I am now on my second group head annual service. Your video is my standard go to for cleaning, service, replacement & re-install. Only “step” change I introduced was reinstalling piston BEFORE reattaching group head to machine. Don’t have to battle with machine on its side! Thank you so much, I dismantled my precious espresso machine confidently & the results WOW. Both it & me happy bunnies.

Excellent video. These machines are worth every penny! I've had mine 20 years and it's used everyday. It still looks brilliant and makes the best coffee :-)

Good video thanks 👍🏼 With piston shaft upwards - top seal ( open face up ) -Bottom seal ( open face down )

I’ve done this service a few times but still enjoyed your video. The only comment I’d make is to insert the piston before installing the group to the boiler. Makes manipulating the seal much easier.

Excellent thorough video, thank you.

I just broke my machine down. Straight from factory. Never before serviced. Both rings were as described in video. They were not opposites. Both hollow sides facing up. That’s how I put them back and it’s working great.

Great job

Great video, no fluff, just right to the task at hand. For some reason my seal kit did not come with a new copper washer (the one with four holes) and did not come with the internal c-clip. The old c-clip had rusted and bonded to its slot but a few good taps with a small blade screw driver got the pieces of it out but I bent the copper washer. I used a small hammer on a wooden surface to get the washer perfectly flat and I was able to buy a new c-clip at a local store. I only make one coffee a day so I am not expecting to have to re-do this job for a long time!

What a great and inspiring video. Makes seals exchange much easier. Thanks for sharing!

Thank You.

Excellent video thanks! Hey the brass plate under the cir-clip is there to allow the cir-clip to hold the seal in place - you couldn't hold the seal in place onto the cir-clip alone, the cir-clip needs something to push against! And I hate that cir-clip. My seal set didn't include a new brass washer so I cleaned and re used it. I also need to replace one of the pins as it is quite worn... always worth a look at.

A great video. There's one other seal that's around a plastic sleeve (La Pavoni Lever Group Sleeve Silicone Gasket code 465302/1186087) that's screwed into the group. I have replaced the plastic sleeve that came with my brand new Esperto Abile (which will eventually wear down) with a brass one (stainless steel is also available - no more plastics!) from coffee-sensor guys. I got a tool to remove the sleeve but quite frankly unscrewing the plastic sleeve didn't go well and the tool's teeth cut through the plastic sleeve's groves damaging them hence it wasn't possible to unscrew it anymore. I had to use a very hot flat screw driver to melt through and destroy the plastic sleeve then with hammer taps managed to unscrew/remove the rest of it (fortunately, didn't damage the sleeve's gasket). The tool became very useful however for installing the new brass sleeve although you could probably do without it and make your own. One thing I was surprised about is lack of a removable seal between the group's pressure gauge and piston. Many people have to put teflon tape around the piston's thread to seal it properly. Since the pressure gauge has to be removed quite frequently for servicing I will probably look for / experiment with a small o-ring that would go between the piston top and pressure gauge. Also, I and some people remove the group's shower screen and seal by pushing down very hard at the top of the piston (no lever attached and pressure gauge / nuts removed of course) with a wrench on the top and both pop out without using any seal removal tools. I presume if you're replacing the seal anyway then damaging it with a tool while getting out won't matter but I was doing the above mods hence my seal was brand new.

Hello, I’ve got one myself and really enjoyed the service kit video. Actually made me think I can do this myself. Regarding the tempt stick, what temperature did you happen to hit that made that perfect espresso shot? Do you recall the timeout took for that shot as well ? Thank you

You don't have to pick the head gasket out, just turn it upside down and put pressure on the threaded end of the push rod to push the gasket and shower out together. May need something like a spanner handle to give the last 1cm of push. I can do it in a few seconds with no damage to the gasket.

definately in the steam wand, just unscrew it mate and you are off and racing, fairly easy to do

Hi there, really enjoyed your video! Any chance you could clarify, how to set up the final position of the piston when the lever is fully down, or does that not matter? Should I just turn the screw nut all the way down? Many thanks!!

Thanks mate. Any chance of a link to where you purchased this service pack?

Wow - what a great video. Really helpful and clear. Is there any chance you can run a video on how to replace the large base seals for this machine at some point? Thanks!

Nice video. Have you cleaned the boiler and heating element?

I’m sorry if this has already been touched on, but if using this in a commercial setting, what is the maintenance interval for which you’re doing today? Thank you

Just picked up a 30-35 year old Europiccola (the smaller version of this). Amazes me that they've made only a few changes over the past 70 years. Took it apart entirely, putting in new gaskets. Gotta replace the heating element, though... And the base is rusted, so sanded and painting it! Figure if I take good care of it that it'll last at *least* another 30-40 years, probably will outlive me. At least the circlip in the grouphead isn't as tensioned as the ones for some pressure cells I have to maintain at my work... those things STING if they slip and hit your hand.

Enjoyed the video, looks so simple I decided to service my 12 month old La Pavoni Abile model. All went well until testing when although the pressure guage shows positive for the sight tube, when I lift the handle no pressure builds up in the head. The pressure continues to build in the reservoir and I have to switch the machine off before the pressure safety kicks in. I haver rechecked all the seals, direction of the piston seals and all looks all ok as per your video. Any ideas please?

Good video, just one error. The lower piston seal goes in the other way up so the V points up whereas the top seal is correct ie the V points down.

Is not easy to insert the piston and grouphead gasket while the group are dismantled?

My Pro post 2000 has developed a leak in the 'water level' display, with water dripping out the bottom of the display. Do you have a tutorial for this kind of repair? Thanks!

Could someone tell me what’s included in the service kit he is using since I’m based in Denmark and would have to order it separately? Thanks I’m advance.

I have the professional model and need to order a gasket kit. How can I tell if it is pre or post year 2000? And are there other factors which will affect the parts I order?

Thanks for the instruction! Great! But...correction(?)...the two piston gaskets are supposed to sit like this on the piston >-< if you know what I mean. Not sure what you mean by "flat sides". Maybe we mean the same?

nice video, I don't have pressure on the lever coming down and when i steam i see dark dot , can you help me please

OK, maybe dumb question but my kit came and it contained no grease. Can anyone point me to what was used in the video?

Hola, soy gustavo de argentina y no consigo los repuestos,como puedo hacer .me faltan las juntas y el porta filtro,con el filtro ..espero me puedas orientar..muchas gracias

Where can I get the special pliers you used. Great video!

Great video!! I just got a new La Pavoni machine and every flush of water from the group head has grease in it. Is that the lubricant? Is it normal to have that in your coffee? 😂

Hey mate, where did you get that thermal sticker?

Hi, I think you are putting the two identical rubber rings wrong. They must be opposite of each other. Therefore, the last ring will also simply slide in.

Making 4 coffees per day , how many times per year shall I do this kind of manteinance?

The la Pavoni distributor in Sydney suggested the two seals on the brass piston should be oriented like an hour glass. This wasn't real clear in the video.

Thanks for this great video. Where can I find that little L shape or hook tool? Does it have a name?

Le cadrage du début laisse à désirer. À part ça, c’est bon.

Ok so I’m a naughty boy, I’ve never serviced or changed the gaskets on my 1976 Europiccola, the only reason I retired it is because the heating element went, my Professional I’ve had for 3 years and it’s still good to go, I use it for 2 doubles a day.

Your wrong, the open side of the plunger gasket faces down, it has to force the gasket to spread when there is pressure in the boiler, watch the video from orphan espresso!!!!

You keep going off camera with your hands and especially while you're doing the piston

Half of the work happens off camera, bummer.