em6910 replacing brew head screw and inserting the seal

askthecoffeeguy

ok I know you're not gunna believe this so I'll have to provide pictures - but I found one of these beauties by the side of the road next to a large and in good nick flat screen tv in a posh surburb so I know it must be good!

So I took it home filled it up with filtered water, switched it on - and it fired up first time - I've run a truck load of hot water through the group head, out of the water tap, and left the steam running on full for ten minutes, checked the presets on the program buttons - and everything seems to be running good as new - water coming out of the group head is clean and sweet smelling with little or no residue - the manual and a receipt for service and replacement seals came with it and all in all it looks as though it has had very little use

BUT - the shower screens, group seal, brew head valve, and associated spring and plastic widget that fits onto the spring and into the valve we're all packaged in a zip lock bag - and for the life of me I can not put them all back together so that the seal stays put!

Spoke to Poppy from Sunbeam customer service and she forwarded me visuals of how it all goes together - and I have spoken to directly on her direct line three times since (excellent customer service I must say - no, scratch that - OUTSTANDING!)

But despite my bests efforts I can not assemble the above bits and pieces so that they all stay put - every time a attempt to attach the group handle the whole shebang falls out - now there's plenty of give and spongy longevity in the seal in fact it looks brand new and unused - so I'm at a loss as to what the problem might be - ideas anybody?

ACg

Brett H

on 1330929820:

Sounds like ya need to speak to AM  :rofl: :rofl: A: EM6900 you had to remove the main brew nut to get to the shower screens and that then allowed the spring and small seat to fall out. B: EM6910 does not have the same config and all one needs to take out was the screw... Send Pics ASAP and OR skype me later and we will have it solved in 35.324sec. AM

LEGEND!  :thumb:

askthecoffeeguy

Thanks AM I'm guessing the unit I have is an EM6900 as there is no obvious branding otherwise on either the machine or the manual and the  service receipt (daylight robbery for a new seal and not much else) dates back to 2008 I'll post pics when I can coz I got my hands full with kids for the next little while... Many thanks, Pat

derrilex

But does the TV work ?  :laugh:

askthecoffeeguy

thanks AM - I havent had a chance to have another look will do so tomorrow in the meantime though here's some pics:

askthecoffeeguy

derrilex

Nice one. Whatchya going to do with it, keep as a spare / part timer or fix and flog ?

derrilex

I would have thought the EM6910bigwarehousefullofbits was at your house AM  :rofl:

Koffee_Kosmo

on 1330999600:

I thought I had one or two of these as I have a spare head or two... But can't find where I put the buggers  :o    :pan Need a bigger shed to allow better stock control  :thumb:

Barn style would fit in just right If its a DIY kit I can come over and help erect it

askthecoffeeguy

thanks guys KK hit it on the nail here's some images:

askthecoffeeguy

the brass valve has sheered off in the brew head and Sunbeams sending a new one gratis (great customer service again I say thanks) any ideas how I get the old one out? P

Koffee_Kosmo

on 1331007088:

the brass valve has sheered off in the brew head and Sunbeams sending a new one gratis (great customer service again I say thanks) any ideas how I get the old one out? P

Use a tool called an easyout KK

derrilex

Ahh the old easyout eh. Real prick when they snap off but I doubt you would have that drama with brass.

UNM

If you need to borrow my easyout set, let me know since I'll be passing by foxy brown friday anyway. As AM said a file will work, so will an appropriate sized hex or torx key from a set of screwdriver bits.

askthecoffeeguy

Thanks guys its definitely an EM6900 as it says so on the back and the good folks at Sunbeam are sending a replacement part free of charge gee its good to put this baby to bed - I know its not finished yet but analysing the problem means that I'm on my way to fixing it the steam pressure is good and the volumetrics are working properly and there's very little lag in the warm up time I know its early days and an old machine - but I'm impressed with both the build quality and the design features - it just seems like a very well made machine which appears to have a lot of thought and attention to detail put into the end product (my reservations about the longevity of thermoblocs aside that is) but with regular maintenance it seems to me that it should last awhile what were the design improvements between the em6900 build and the em6910 build? and are there any design faults / maintenance issues I should be aware of? Cheers, PaT 

UNM

on 1331020098:

6910 build? and are there any design faults / maintenance issues I should be aware of?

Apparently there is a brass fitting in the group head assembly that can shear off if not treated carefully. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

derrilex

Sounds like you might have scored a hybrid bargin ACG  :thumb:

askthecoffeeguy

on 1331024324:

Apparently there is a brass fitting in the group head assembly that can shear off if not treated carefully. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Found out that one the hard way