Manuals and a Brochure

Because these can be hard to find...

Manuals:

1. X1 Manual
2. X3 Manual
3. X5 Manual
4. X Project

It Lives! The X1 brews again.

A quick visit to the local tecnosystem supplier yeilded a ground conversion kit - group head gasket, screen and replacement jet - to replace the pod adaptor (bottom right). The screen and jet assembly look very much like the Lelit/La Pavoni versions.

Boiler, group shroud and element bolted in.

Steam valve, water feed, original pump and auto bleeder fitted. Nylon pipe from pump is needed to isolate noise and vibration - copper here is not good idea.

Wiring was tricky. When I bought the X1, much of the wiring was disconnected - so I couldn't really work out what went where. I found the X1 manual on line to confirm the function of the indicator lights - top one is power, bottom one is OK (on when up to temperature). I opened the X3 - but that was not helpful, as I couldn't easily trace the wiring (it was buried under components and did not follow normal wiring conventions - i.e., both phase and neutral were blue from the plug!). The Carezza has gone to a new owner so I couldn't look in there, and the Tecnosystem does not have a steam function and is therefore too simple. I ended up working out my own wiring scheme from scratch. I won't put that here for obvious reasons. Awesome birds nest!

Ready to test, front held on by Sellotape - stylish!

Fix a leak from the steam valve - and then... first coffee - yeah!

Put back together and up to temperature. Temperature gauge is not working, but it is eye candy anyway.

Another view

Coffee shrine. My double boiler! I am using the X1 to pull the shots (it has the better dispersion screen setup in my opinion as the X3 does not have the adaptor fitted at the moment - and the X3 has been pitting terribly, I take back what I said earlier about the adaptor being useless) and the X3 to steam. On the other hand, the X3 has the better temperature control, none the less, the newly modified X1 is pulling great shots. Being able to steam while the shot is being pulled is great, and not having to wait for the boiler is giving me much much better milk based coffees in the morning. My micro-foam is getting good - nice and silky, my main problem previously has been over-stretching so all I had to do was stop a bit earlier. Can't say much about my pouring skills though.

Sounds odd, but I am enjoying the feel of the toggle switches - they are very satisfying. Also like the fact that you can put the portafilter in with one hand on the X1. The lighter/narrower X3 needs a hand to hold the machine steady. With the upgrades the X1 is making better coffee that it did when new, it is great not having the compromised pod/grounds dispersion screen/group head.

Things still to do.

1. I want to replace the vibe pump in the X1, the original one seems to be struggling. I have a brass higher wattage one from the Tecnosystem. Done, I was getting very variable extraction times.
2. I would like to fit an adjustable OPV to the X1. There is plenty of space inside the X1 whereas there isn't in the X3, so is the better choice in that regard.
3. I want to reposition the boiler connections. It probably doesn't make much difference in truth, but at the moment the inlet and outlets are swapped (easier to fit everything). As this requires drilling and tapping, it probably won't happen in a hurry (if ever).
4. I am tempted to put a pressure gauge in the X1 to replace the broken temperature gauge. However there isn't a lot of room. We'll see. I am also trying to get a price on the original gauge as a spare part.
5. I need to find a way to hold the drip tray cover of the X1 securely - it is driving me bonkers the way is slides off when you wipe.
6. I have worked out how to fit a 3-way valve using Lelit/La Pavoni parts: copper pipe; MC027, connector: MC075, and 3-way: MC010. However, there seems no way to elegantly handle the discharge pipe. This would be easier on the X3.

Nasty it was.

Ugh, the tecnosystem arm (because it does not have a steam tip) is completely horrible to steam milk with, the angle is all wrong for a single hole. Need to change it back, my morning cappuccino was dire.

I have found some parts for the tecnosystem machine from the distributer - more later.

Edit! Without the adaptor the X3 is pitting the top of the puck badly - much worse than I remember. I have decided to get the X1 in service as quickly as possible as it will take a while to get a new dispersion screen in for the X3.

Happy New Year

It looks like the Gaggia Carezza has been sold, it is nice that it will get used again. Of course this means that as I have been using the dispersion screen from the Carezza - I have to revert the FF! X3 for a little while until I get a replacement screen for the ground coffee adaptor. So, I decided to remove the adaptor now, and compare results. The only difference over the original FF! X3 is that I used the dispersion screen from the tecnosystem machine as this has finer holes like a proper screen (same as the Gaggia screen - just much smaller) - the FF! X3 screen has large holes.

In any case it has been a while since I have published a movie - so this is the latest pour, without the grinds adaptor. Now one point is that the adaptor was intended to improve the crema...

Yep. Just as good as ever, if not a slightly better colour. Slight bias in the pour and a second or two quick, but perfectly reasonable. I am not sure that the adaptor achieves anything other than a dry puck - and to be honest it does that at the expense of being able to vary the dose. I think I will leave it off for a while and see how I go. Crema on a cappuccino before adding milk.

I also swapped the steam arm on the FF! X3 with the one off the Tecnosystem, just because I happened to have the X3 open. I was getting pretty good microfoam with the standard arm - looks like I will have to learn all over again - I am useless with the new arm. Below is the FF! X3 arm...

The FF! X3 fitted with the Tecnosystem arm. The angle is a bit odd.

So, what else have I been up to? I made a mark 2 pressure tester using the steam valve from the Napolitana to 'correct' the pressure readings. I still need to solve the notched portafilter problem. I tried wrapping the basket in lots of teflon tape, but it would only withstand about 7 bar. I'll see if I can find a slim o-ring today. Mk2 below.

So, as for the FF! X1 boiler replacement. Photo below, as you can see the Tecnosystem boiler is pretty much the same, identical casting, with some differences in component layout to the FF! X3. One thing I hadn't noticed earlier, the FF! X3 has a resetable thermal breaker - great news, much better than a thermal fuse!

Also, the FF! X3 has NO over pressure valve! It has the primer/air release on the Ulka pump, but that is it. The Napolitana had one (sort of adjustable), on the hot side of the boiler, the Gaggia Carezza has one (not adjustable), on the cold side of the boiler, and the Tecnosystem also has one on the hot side of the boiler - in fact integral to the steam valve!

It is a properly adjustable one with a o-ring to seal when adjusting. Similar, but better design to the Napolitana. Now I have to work out how to adapt it for use it on the X1, and how to fit it on the cold side.

Last bit of news. The FF! X1 temperature gauge does not work. Sad. I thought it worked when I dismantled it, but when I tested it yesterday it was no go. Seems they are a common fault. Dang. I am thinking about putting an alternative gauge in there, but as this isn't a HX machine, it really is all just eye candy.