Any tip to remove this brutally old and damaged/petrified rubber gasket seal please?
Any tip to remove this brutally old and damaged/petrified rubber gasket seal please?
by passaleph3
11 Comments
Coffee_Huffer
Murphy’s oil soap may help soften it up. Just put a bunch on it, then some plastic wrap over it. Let it set for a few days adding more Murphy’s if it looks like it needs more.
Borax and hot water work really well for cleaning old coffee buildup. Put some borax and hot water on it. Let it set for a couple of hours. Scrub and rinse repeat if it needs more. This may clean it up enough that as long as it doesn’t have any other issues you may just want to keep it.
docere85
If the gasket looks like that imagine the innards….
brock-omabrama
Try to screw in a small screw (careful to not go to deep and damage the machine). Then grab some pliers and pull on the screw. Bit of a brute force method, but might give you the extra leverage you need to yank it out.
gozirra1
try slicing it with a razor in a few different spots and prying it out
blueeddy7
Pick and hook set was the best investment I ever made for removing old gaskets. The are only a few dollars.
andrew_1515
Can you submerged it in a light descaler for a few hours to try and loosen up some of the calsification.
oldferg
Google ‘seal kit for [insert your model here]’. Get some citric acid as a descaler. Look for YouTube breakdown videos and remove the head to allow easier access.
Formal_Bar_8406
So as a former coffee technician, I used an 3 inch awl or a long pick (like the previous poster mentioned).
You push the awl into the old, cracked gasket at the point closest to you and then begin to use the leverage around the group’s edge (where the portafilter’s wings lock into place) to pry and break it out into pieces. You may need to do this repeatedly at different points of the stuck gasket. After the dried, broken bits tumble down remove any remaining excess using a brass wire brush to clean the group.
Meanwhile soak the dispersion screen in some phosphonate salt (Cafiza, Puro, Puly) or replace if it is warped.
Then place the new gasket on the rim of a basket-less portafilter, and lock it into the group as if loading a shot. Check to see if it’s snug (no ripples). Repeat the last step to firmly seat the gasket. If the group is old and worn down, a shim maybe needed on top of the gasket (closest to the group). No more than (3) shims (gasket slippage). OR upgrade the gasket to the next depth.
SpecialpOps
I’d like to use a plastic spudger for these gaskets. It prevents scratching the metal.
Juvv
Plier pinch then pull it out?
passaleph3
Thank you all for your answers, much appreciated! The method with screws worked very well, followed by removal by flat screwdriver and razors.
11 Comments
Murphy’s oil soap may help soften it up. Just put a bunch on it, then some plastic wrap over it. Let it set for a few days adding more Murphy’s if it looks like it needs more.
Borax and hot water work really well for cleaning old coffee buildup. Put some borax and hot water on it. Let it set for a couple of hours. Scrub and rinse repeat if it needs more. This may clean it up enough that as long as it doesn’t have any other issues you may just want to keep it.
If the gasket looks like that imagine the innards….
Try to screw in a small screw (careful to not go to deep and damage the machine). Then grab some pliers and pull on the screw. Bit of a brute force method, but might give you the extra leverage you need to yank it out.
try slicing it with a razor in a few different spots and prying it out
Pick and hook set was the best investment I ever made for removing old gaskets. The are only a few dollars.
Can you submerged it in a light descaler for a few hours to try and loosen up some of the calsification.
Google ‘seal kit for [insert your model here]’.
Get some citric acid as a descaler.
Look for YouTube breakdown videos and remove the head to allow easier access.
So as a former coffee technician, I used an 3 inch awl or a long pick (like the previous poster mentioned).
You push the awl into the old, cracked gasket at the point closest to you and then begin to use the leverage around the group’s edge (where the portafilter’s wings lock into place) to pry and break it out into pieces. You may need to do this repeatedly at different points of the stuck gasket. After the dried, broken bits tumble down remove any remaining excess using a brass wire brush to clean the group.
Meanwhile soak the dispersion screen in some phosphonate salt (Cafiza, Puro, Puly) or replace if it is warped.
Then place the new gasket on the rim of a basket-less portafilter, and lock it into the group as if loading a shot. Check to see if it’s snug (no ripples). Repeat the last step to firmly seat the gasket. If the group is old and worn down, a shim maybe needed on top of the gasket (closest to the group). No more than (3) shims (gasket slippage). OR upgrade the gasket to the next depth.
I’d like to use a plastic spudger for these gaskets. It prevents scratching the metal.
Plier pinch then pull it out?
Thank you all for your answers, much appreciated! The method with screws worked very well, followed by removal by flat screwdriver and razors.
Pictures attached: https://imgur.com/a/OWiSAOv