Rancilio Silvia Group Head Maintenance - Seal and Screen Replacement

My 12 year old Rancilio Silvia was in pretty desparate need of some group head love - the group head seal was leaking badly and the screen was in pretty bad shape. I had put this off for some time, and finally got around to making these repairs during my upgrade project which included boiler insulation, noise reduction, and PID temperature controller installation.

Group head in need of some TLC - Dirty screen, Bad seal

The group head seal had an obvious depression on the sealing surface, and the seal material was hard and brittle. I used dental picks to pull out to the old seal in one piece.

The group head seal had hardenend. I used a small hammer to drive the dental pick into the seal deep enough to be able to pry on it. 

The angle pliers underneath the pick give me a surface to pry against without marring the brass of the group head. 

Group head seals - old seal on the right, new seal on the left

 The group head cover also needed to be replaced, the chrome finish was peeling from the plastic. Since the machine was disassembled for PID temperature controller installation, and noise damping sheet installation, the group head cover was easily accessible for replacement.

The old group head cover had metal screw reinforcements for the plastic attachment columns - however, the plastic was extremely brittle when the reinforcements were removed. 

The old group head cover with peeling chrome film

Breaking the brittle plastic out of the metal reinforcements. 

Adding the metal reinforcements to the new group head cover. Tap gently with a hammer so that these are well installed. 

The new group head cover installed. 

A clean group head following scrubbing with a warm solution of water and espresso machine cleaner. 

Conclusion

What a difference the new group head cover makes for the appearance of the machine - looks almost new. The new seal is great - no more leaks. I've purchases two replacement group head seals and have added annual seal replacement to my calendar as a reminder to routinely replace these.

Sources and Links

I hope you found this post useful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. I answer all questions. If you're interested, you can help support this site by using the following links to Amazon.com in the United States. My go-to place for Rancilio Silvia parts in Canada is Espressotec.com.

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Rancilio Silvia Boiler Insulation Upgrade

As part of my Rancilio Silvia mid-life overhaul (noise damping, group head maintenance, PID temperature controller installation, etc.) I decided to insulate the boiler. There's some debate about doing this on the internet, and there are insulation kits available from various sources, but these are the reasons I decided to do the boiler insulation:

• Faster group head warmup (head has to travel down from the boiler to the group head, and a warmer group head permits better and more consistent brew water temperature at the portafilter)
• Energy efficiency - particularly when considering the addition of a warmup timer which turns the machine on about 45 minutes to an hour before first use in the morning
• Protection of the PVC wiring and terminal insulators from excessive heat

I had some thin, fibreglass piping insulation available in my project bin, and this turned out to be perfect for doing the boiler insulation. 

The naked boiler prior to insulation installation. Note the group head below and forward of the boiler - heat has to move down and forward to pre-heat the group head. 

I used Climaloc Fibreglass Pipewrap Insulation for the Boiler

Wrapping the boiler with fibreglass pipe insulation

Boiler wrapped with fibreglass pipe insulation

Boiler wrapped with fibreglass pipe insulation

Insulating the wiring from the top of the boiler
simply cut out openings for the steam outlet,
boiler heater element and temperature sensors. 

You can see that I wasn't too fussy with the insulation installation - there are some small gaps around the top of the boiler and I wanted some heat loss to heat the top cover / cup warming tray.

Conclusion

In terms of performance, I've definitely noticed that the front and top covers of the machine do not get as hot as they used to - and I was careful when installing the noise damping mat not to cover any air vents or gaps around the top cover. This preserves the ability for air to move through the machine to manage the internal temperature. The group head warms up well, and a 45 minute pre-heat time seems to work very well for optimal brew water consistency in operation.

Sources and Links

I hope you found this post useful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. I answer all questions. If you're interested, you can help support this site by using the following links to Amazon.com in the United States. My go-to place for Rancilio Silvia parts in Canada is Espressotec.com.

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Rancilio Silvia PID Temperature Controller Installation

This isn't a post about coffee brewing technique - there's lots of great sites and posts dedicated to this on the interweb. I love my Rancilio Siliva - I look at it as a simple, rugged, reliable machine for making coffee. It has it's limitations however, and one of them is the ability to manage brewing water temperature. There is no temperature indication on the stock Silvia, and the brew water thermostat on the boiler has just two setpoints - water heating lower limit, and upper limit.

Auber PID Temperature Controller - White LED version

The installation of a PID (proportional–integral–derivative) temperature controller is designed to resolve these limitations by providing temperature display, and automated brewing and steaming functions with the ability to customize key settings - such as brew water temperature, brewing time, and so on.

Completed PID installation on the Rancilio Silvia - note the box to the right of the group head with the white LED temperature display. 

PID Installation

The Auber installation manual is clear and self explanatory. I don't intend to reproduce a manual here, just provide some photos and tips / observations from my installation experience. 

Installation of the SSR (solid state relay) is fairly straightforward. It installs next to the pump on the main chassis of the machine. The Auber kit comes with one nut, bolt and washer for installation through the bottom vent holes. I drilled a second hole and added a second fastener to help hold the SSR a bit more securely, and ensure the bottom surface and heat transfer silicone is as tight as possible for best possible heat transfer and component reliability. 

Hole drilled in chassis for second fasterner

Note the heat transfer silicone - I cleaned this up for a neater final installation. 

Top view. Note the scale on the black chassis to
 the right of the SSR from a leaking high pressure hose fitting. 

One other tip - this installation places the SSR almost directly below the high pressure stainless braided hose. I made sure to correct a leak in the 90 degree elbow fitting using some pipe dope. I also added a small plastic sheet to deflect any water from the SSR in the case of a future leak.

Wiring the controller was straighforward, again, the instructions were quite clear. Just one tip - I inverted the machine for performing the wiring and prep for adhesive tape installation. This made it very easy to access the connections, and apply pressure to the PID when applying the adhesive tape. 

I temporarily taped the PID enclosure to the steam wand to keep it out of the way during wiring termination.

PID Controller Wiring Complete

Note - when I cleaned the surfaces for installation of the PID - most of the ink came off the UL certification label. I ended up removing the certification label to ensure a clean surface for intallation of the PID. I don't recommend removing the certification label. One other thing I did was to use a heat gun to heat the metal sheet where the PID was to be installed, and gently heating the adhesive also. This allows the adhesive tape to completely adapt to the surface inconsistencies for the best possible bond.

Cleaning the PID Controller installation surface

Certification Label

PID Controller installed. Working with the machine inverted makes it easy to apply pressure to improve adhesion.

One other thing to consider when installing these kits - the Rancilio Silvia has PVC electrical wiring insulation - which becomes brittle with heat and time. My machine is 12 years old - and I was very careful to avoid cracking the wiring insulation and terminal insulators. Some of the terminal insulation broke anyway. When I insulated the boiler using fibreglass insulation - I was careful to reorganize the wires, zip tie them together to avoid having any wires or connectors too close to the heating elements. See photo below. This should enhance reliability of the connections. I can see that if I expect to get 20 years out of the this machine - I may end up having to replace the wiring.

Wiring organization using zip ties

Conclusion

How does the new PID temperature controller work? Simply fantastic - it's great to have fine control over brew water temperature, and a much better understanding of what's happening with the critical brew variables. Result - better tasting coffee (although I still have a long way to go). I wish I had got this upgrade done years ago. 

Sources and Links

I hope you found this post useful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. I answer all questions. If you're interested, you can help support this site by using the following links to Amazon.com in the United States. I purchased my PID kit directly from Auber Instruments: https://www.auberins.com/ My go-to place for genuine Rancilio Silvia parts in Canada is Espressotec.com.

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Rancilio Silvia Noise Reduction Project

The Rancilio Silvia has a vibratory pump. The principal advantage for a home machine is that the vibratory pump develops pressure quickly and is relatively compact. The principal disadvantage - significant vibration and noise. The engine of the vibratory pump is an electromagnetic coil attached to a fluid piston. The coil moves back and forth when energized with alternating current - in just the same manner as a loudspeaker coil. This drives the piston back and forth - pushing water through a one way check valve to pressurize the boiler with water.

Rancilio Silvia - Vibratory Pump Installation

You can see in the photo that the pump is supported by two rubber mounts designed to allow the pump to move laterally and offset the vibration of the piston motion. These mounts are 12 years old, and have partially collapsed under the weight of the stainless braided discharge hose.

I did a fair bit of research online before coming up with my noise reduction strategy:

• Improve the pump installation and correct the collapsed rubber mounts;
• Add vibration damping material (Dynamat or Noico) to as much accessible sheet metal as possible;
• Add cushioning to the drip tray and drip grille to reduce rattling. 

Pump Installation Upgrade

Let's start with the pump installation. I was into the repair project before I realized that I should replace the pump rubber mounts, so I wasn't able to get replacement parts in time. So - I reversed the mounts to try to correct the sagging, and I added some closed cell foam underneath the pump to help support it from sagging under the mounts.

Vibratory Pump Installation Upgrades - Reversed collapsed rubber mounts, added closed cell foam under pump

I made sure to install the discharge hose in such a way to ensure it wasn't touching any of the metal panels of the machine, to help avoid transmission of vibration to the sheet metal. I also corrected the leak in the stainless steel 90 degree fitting at the pump outlet.

Vibration Damping

The next tactic was to install vibration damping sheet to as much of the accessible sheet metal on the machine, with the aim of reducing vibration transmission. A common brand name for vibration damping material is Dynamat. I ended up using Noico sheets - just because I found a format and quantity online which was well suited to the size of the Rancilio project. One thing I checked was the operating temperature of the Noico sheet - it's rated to 210F (about 98C).

I was careful to avoid placing this material too close to the boiler or group head components, and I insulated the boiler to help reduce the temperature within the front case.

I was also installing a PID controller, so I had to disassemble the machine anyway. I did the PID installation at the same time as the vibration damping sheet installation, saving time.

I installed damping sheet on the following components:

• Main frame - side columns and base
• Rear cover
• Front cover
• Pump cover
• Top cover

Sound damping sheet installation underneath base

Sound damping sheet installation front cover

Sound damping sheet installation main frame around pump

Sound damping sheet installation pump cover

Sound damping sheet installation pump cover

I used a 2" rubber ink roller to roll out the damping sheet, and make sure there were no gaps in the adhesive or air bubbles under the sheet.

Sound damping sheet installation rear cover

Sound damping sheet installation top cover. Note installation of strips only to allow heat to warm top cover to keep cup heating function.

Sound damping sheet installation - with front and rear covers and pump cover installed. 

Conclusion

So - what's the net result of the noise control work? A fairly noticeable improvement in noise control. One problem however - the drip tray grate still rattles during a shot - so I added some cushioning to reduce the impact of the rattle since it wasn't practical to add sound damping material to the grate.
The machine runs quite quietly now and I can make coffee in the kitchen directly below the master bedroom, without waking up my significant other. Worth the effort? Definitely!

Sources and Links

I hope you found this post useful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. I answer all questions. If you're interested, you can help support this site by using the following links to Amazon.com in the United States. My go-to place for genuine Rancilio Silvia parts in Canada is Espressotec.com.

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Rancilio Silvia Upgrade and Maintenance Project

I recently completed a fairly extensive upgrade to my Rancilio Silvia espresso machine:

• Auber PID temperature controller installation;
• Group head cover, gasket and screen replacement;
• Insteon digital warmup timer
• Boiler insulation
• Pump sound insulation / noise reduction
• High pressure pump hose leak repair
• V3 steam wand upgrade. 

The machine was purchased in July 2008 - so at time of the project it was 11 1/2 years old. I've been pretty good with routine boiler and pump descaling, however, I've never changed the group head gasket, and I had leaks around the portafilter when brewing. I purchased the PID kit 6 years ago, and never took the time to install it. I also wanted to be able to run the machine early in the morning while the rest of the family is sleeping, so I was also interested in quieting the machine when brewing. 

Here's a photo of the completed machine. I'll tackle each of the upgrades as separate posts. 

Conclusion

I've been running the updated machine for about 2 weeks now. I've been making coffee in the morning with everyone else sleeping in the house, and absolutely no complaints about noise. The convenience of the PID controller is not to be understated - knowing the brew / steam water temperature is so insightful when working to improve the taste of your espresso. The warmup timer has been flawless - every morning when I come downstairs the machine is ready to pull a shot - temperature has stabalized and the coffee mugs have warmed up. The boiler insulation seems to help keep the side panels of the machine from getting too hot, and it probably helps to get heat down into the group head for more consistent brew water temperature control, and quicker temperature recovery between shots. Finally - it's nice just having a machine that looks almost like new - has been thoroughly cleaned, and no longer leaks from the group head gasket. Totally worth the effort to renovate a 12 year old machine. It really is built like a tank.

Sources and Links

I hope you found this post useful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. I answer all questions. If you're interested, you can help support this site by using the following links to Amazon.com in the United States. I purchased my PID kit directly from Auber Instruments: https://www.auberins.com/ My go-to place for genuine Rancilio Silvia parts in Canada is Espressotec.com.

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BMW E61 Turbo Replacement Project - Cleaning Intercooler, Radiator, Power Steering and Transmission Coolers

I made the decision to pull the engine and transmission out of the front of the car when doing the turbo replacement project. I was using quickjacks which give me about 24" of lift - and don't have a 2 or 4 post lift to be able to drop the engine and transmission out of the bottom of the car. One thing that really impressed me about this car was there are 7 heat exchangers / coolers around the front of the car: radiator, AC evaporator, power steering cooler, engine oil cooler, charge air intercooler, transmission fluid cooler and coolant / transmission fluid heat exchanger.

Charge air intercooler - lots of grit came out of the fins.

 It was pretty impressive the quantity of road grit that came out of virtually all the heat exhangers, particularly the intercooler, power steering cooler, and transmission fluid cooler. The AC evaporator, engine oil cooler and radiator protect themselves somewhat because they are stacked behind the transmission fluid cooler. The AC evaporator is quite exposed to grit and debris coming through the kidney grille at speed, blasting the paint and flattenning the fin material.

Halo of grit from flushing the intercooler. 

This car is winter driven daily - and exposed to road salt and grit all winter. The intercooler was about 30% blocked with grit, the power steering cooler about 50% blocked with grit, and the transmission cooler was the worst off - almost 100% blocked with grit.

Transmission cooler - almost completely blocked with road grit.

 Through trial and error - I found that the best method to clean all these aluminum parts was to initally flush with soap and water, and try to get as much grit removed using a high flow / low pressure water hose to avoid damaging the fin material. Once that was done, I used aluminum wheel cleaner - sprayed to soak into the fins as much as possible, and then flushed with water within the prescribed time (a few minutes of application only). This remove a good amount of grit. Then the third stage was to clean out grit using a dental pick set - I needed to do this with the worst heat exhangers only - and since these parts cost between $300 and $700 each - it was worth the time doing a few evenings of dental picking to rehabilitate these parts.

Front end during disassembly - note the sandblasting of the AC evaporator - leaving the kidney grille shape with two lines from a cross brace. 

The transmission cooler is the lowest cooler on the car - and the most packed with grit.

Transmission cooler - almost completely blocked with grit.

During the dental picking, I also straightened and lifted any folded fin material - it's time consuming, but for me it was worth it.

Radiator after cleaning with aluminum wheel cleaner. 

AC evaporator after cleaning with aluminum wheel cleaner. 

Intercooler during cleaning - all the metal and fins were in good condition without any pitting at the hose mating surfaces.

One final thing to note - I replaced all the o-rings / sealing rings at all the hose interfaces to help ensure I wouldn't have any leaks at startup. Now that the car is on the road, running, and AC system charged - I can state that it was worth the effort - no leaks at all from any of the systems - cooling, power steering, transmission cooling, engine oil cooling. All good.

Front end with all the coolers replaced. Shop dog hanging out the garage. Not easy keeping the dog clean....

I'll post some additional articles with lessons learned from this project, hopefully it can help others out when doing similar work.

Sources and Links

I hope you found this post useful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. I answer all questions. If you're interested, you can help support this site by using the following links to Amazon.com in the United States. Turbo parts were supplied by Turner Motorsports. Other parts were supplied by Pelican, BMW Park Avenue in Brossard, and eEuroparts.

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BMW E61 Turbo Replacement - Engine Subframe Powdercoating, Steering Rack Rebuild

In order to pull the engine out of the front of the car with the transmission, the subframe needs to be dropped in order to allow the oil pan to pass over the steering rack. With the subframe on the floor, it was pretty easy to clean it up and check the condition of the subframe and steering rack.

Here's the subframe. Carbon steel construction, with one engine mount, 2 heat shields and steering rack attached.

The engine subframe on the BMW E61 is fabricated from carbon steel, painted or powdercoated black in the factory. My car is 9 years from the date of manufacture, and has been operated in Toronto and Montreal its entire life, subject to Canadian winters and road salt. What's interesting is that there is virtually no rust anywhere on the steel and aluminum body components. Most of the underbody structural and suspension components are made from aluminum - like the rear suspension frame, and the front suspension arms. There are a few components which sufferred from corrosion - the subframe, some of the aluminum heat shields, particularly at attachment points to the body, and one driveshaft tunnel brace also made of steel which I decided to replace.

The subframe was the one component of the car showing the most significant rust damage

Once I had a look of the extent of the paint bubbling and corrosion on the subframe, I decided that I didn't want to invest the time to try to clean it up and treat the corrosion myself - I had lots of other things requiring attention, like getting the new turbos, head gasket, oil pan gasket, etc on the engine and get the engine / transmission ready to replace in the car. So I decided to strip the subframe, remove the steering rack, and take the subframe to a local powdercoating shop to have it sandblasted and coated.

In preparation for sending out the steering rack - I measured the tie rod locations precisely for setup on reinstallation.

I found a local powdercoating shop that normally does industrial work, and the owner was a bit of a car guy and accepted to do my subframe for $150 - which was a great deal in terms of how much time it saved me from cleaning this up myself.

Subframe back from Powdercoat - beautiful.

He did a great job of sandblasting out all the rust, you can see in the powdercoat finish some of the pitting in the steel which was now overcoated, this should help keep the car on the road for another 10 years. He also protected all the studs and weldnuts from powdercoat - I didn't have any threading or tapping to do - which also saved time.

You can see some of the rust pitting in this photo - right hand motor mount area.

And some of the pitting here.

For the steering rack and axle half shafts / CV joints - I took them all to Axle Automotive (Capital Dominion Radiator) on Gladstone Avenue in Ottawa for rebuild. The rear axle half shafts were both spraying grease, and the fronts were fine but I had them repacked with new boots as a preventative measure anyway. They stripped down the steering gear, cleaned it, replaced the rod seals and boots, and the steering gear seals. I had the option of having the rack painted black - I opted to keep it natural aluminum. It turned out really nice - and now with the car on the road I can report that the steering feel is excellent - rack is performing like new. The price for the rebuild was very good - better than I could find at any shop in the Montreal area.

Front axle half shafts and steering rack - back from rebuild with all new boots. 

The aluminum body of the steering gear shows some oxidation - purely cosmetic and something I can live with. 

One thing to note is that all the bolts holding the subframe to the car front frame are torque to yield type fasteners that need to be replaced when loosened or removed. I did purchase new fasteners for the subframe.

Subframe prepped with heat shields, steering rack, left hand motor mount and power steering lines ready for the motor.

Sources and Links

I hope you found this post useful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. I answer all questions. If you're interested, you can help support this site by using the following links to Amazon.com in the United States. Turbo parts were supplied by Turner Motorsports. Other parts were supplied by Pelican, BMW Park Avenue in Brossard, and eEuroparts. Capital Radiator in Ottawa did the steering rack rebuild.

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