Gaggia Syncrony Disassembly Tips??

[OldSalt]

I just got a Syncrony "SUP 015" machine that was said to need a pump. I can easily source that Ulka EAP5 pump, but am looking for guidance on taking the machine apart to do a visual inspection and/or removal before ordering parts. You know, what panels need to come off - which screws first, etc. Help? It would be good to know whether the pump is bad or a seal is broken - or both...

Also, I see a "pump primer" gizmo in the manual. Could an un-primed pump be the whole problem? It looks a bit like a cheap nasal irrigation syringe but I'm sure its got a sized end to fit onto the aperture in the bottom of the tank. If anyone has photos of this fit-up, it would help me fabricate something from my trusty collection of pond pumps, turkey basters and infant-nostril-evacuators... Or maybe a source for the correct Gaggia branded accessory to save me from embarrassing McGuyver???

 

[mrnatalie]

I just finished repairing a Syncrony Compact Digital so I don't have exact advice for you, but I can recommend that you contact partsguru.com as well as technical support for WholeLatteLove. Both were able to talk me through the disassembly of my machine and both have diagrams available that they can email.

I can't speak to the details of your pump and what to look for but I found a silicone hose that had split open in my machine. Based my experience I recommend that you inspect the hoses with a bright light to make sure all are intact. This turned out to be the root cause of problems in my machine.

Cheers

 

[OldSalt]

Thanks! I got my pump in the mail today. I gave up and set to it with a set of screwdrivers. It is a relatively simple gadget. I'm still hoping to find a way to get to the pump without disgorging the entire case. We'll see what comes out of the package with the new pump - that will determine what and where I need to disconnect things. The previous owner popped up with his experience - he'd had it to a service center and they quoted a bad pump and $190.00 to replace it. I look forward to making tomorrow afternoon's cup on my new/old machine!

 

[OldSalt]

Done and running!

Here's how:

I took off the frother knob by simply pulling it straight outward, and unscrewed the keeper ring on the frother tube, pulling all the pieces down and off and bagging screws and all. The seven screws holding the top on were pretty basic, two on the front corners going up from the coffee service area, two below the water tank, two in the bean hopper, and one on the edge outside the bean hopper. The grinder fine/coarse adjuster had to be lifted off its pins - it is just pressed down into the guide holes - and I put it in the bag with the frother parts and screws. Then it was just lifting it clear of the electronics panel and the frother tube, which I pushed up as I pulled up on the lid, and setting it aside being careful of the wires. The two spade-lugged wires on the pump are AC power, so they are not specific to which post they are attached; so, being aware that most electrical shock deaths are caused by 110VAC power I yet again made sure the unit was unplugged, and then pulled the clips off the terminals and set the wires aside, taking care not to mark them. ;^) The trick with the pump is that the mounts have a push-down release button centered just below the input nipple and the out-flow pipe. What I did was got a 14mm wrench on the outflow pipe and used a pliers to hold the extension still while I turned the pump loose. To do it again, I'd just reach a finger around below the ends of the motor assembly, mash the release buttons, and push the motor mounts forward and aft to clear their clips. Pull the nipple off the inlet side, remove the hold-down kotter pin in the out-flow tube and extricate the tube, and lift out the pump. At this point, I pulled the new pump out of the box and promptly dropped it on the floor, knocking the input nipple off the pump body. Taking a chance that the old pump had an electrical failure, I pulled the pump assembly apart - two screws and the rest is just set together in the frame - and swapped the old pump mechanism into the new winding assembly. Reassembly went just in reverse of disassembly, taking care not to pinch wires, push too hard on the electronic control panel, and align the red dots on the grinder, pressing the control handle back in place centered on the red alignment dots. The frother reassembly was simple enough, made even moreso by the rings indicating the proper placement of the top of the plastic parts - I put it together so they are just hidden. I then put the machine on the counter in the break room, turned it on, ran a rinse cycle, and made coffee! Now I'm having trouble making that nice crema with my La Pavoni Europiccola!

 

[Randy G.]

Old Salt. Nice write up. Would have made a GREAT website with photos accompanying the step-by-step. Many super-autos experience failure rates hiugher than would be expected. Their complexity makes them a daunting device to attempt to repair. Juxtaposed to the cost of shipping and paying for out-of warranty service, having a repair guide online would be very helpful (not to me, but just speaking from the experience of having written a few of those).

I like working with delicate things over a carpeted area. Even if it means putting a blanket down before putting the device on the bench. If nothing else, it keeps dropped screws from bouncing.

"It is a cruel fate that as we get older and more prone to drop little things, we are also becoming far-sighted and lees able to find what we drop." -R.G.B.

 

[OldSalt]

Randy,
Thanks! I just hadn't had time to sit down and publish the doggoned thing yet... Please let me know how it looks... Check it out at http://oldsaltweb.com/gaggiasyncronydigitalpumpreplacement.pdf

 

[Randy G.]

I would say that its is a good attempt, indeed. The only recommendation I can make is to re-order the file's pages so it is chronological- disassembly steps in order first, then followed by reassembly.

 

[OldSalt]

I would say that its is a good attempt, indeed. The only recommendation I can make is to re-order the file's pages so it is chronological- disassembly steps in order first, then followed by reassembly.

Thanks! I was trying to preserve slides - and therefore download times, so I just marked the reassembly notes as such and placed them in order as needed for reassembly. I suppose a note on the front end of the presentation as to what I'm doing would help prevent confusion. I'll give it a shot.

 

[OldSalt]

There! I posted an updated version of the file. It has an explanatory introduction and color-coding for disassembly, pump replacement, and reassembly. I hope that makes it more user-friendly. Thanks again for the feedback!

 

[lturchin]

Great job. This will be a great help to many of us. I'm stuck at a point where I can not seem to reset the brewgroup assembly. I have cleaned the 2 filters. I have the N letter pointing to the arrow. The assembly seems to fit snugly into the slot and snaps but when I place the dregdrawer into the unit and start it up, the tamper in the brewgroup audibly smacks right into the dregdrawer. In addition, if I bypass the dregdrawer by placing a screwdriver in the slot to fool the unit that the drawer is in place, and pull a shot, I get the tamper to move, but no liquid comes out. The steamer works fine. But these 2 items are driving me bananas. Any ideas?

 

[ellenkarty]

I can't speak to the details of your pump and what to look for but I found a silicone hose that had split open in my machine. Based my experience I recommend that you inspect the hoses with a bright light to make sure all are intact. This turned out to be the root cause of problems in my machine.

 

[OldSalt]

when I place the dregdrawer into the unit and start it up, the tamper in the brewgroup audibly smacks right into the dregdrawer.

I had this problem and can't say I truly figured it out, but what seemed to work was a thorough cleaning of the tamper assembly and pre-loading the spring before installing. I think it got out of position during my fumbling around with it and it was finicky about wanting to be back in just the right position before it met its alignment criteria. I hope my delinquency hasn't left you coffee-less.