LUCCA Tempo: Replacing the Vibratory Pump

A pump at the end of its service life may become quiet at full pressure or exhibit reduced flow. If cleaning the reservoir filter does not help, here is how to remove the pump for inspection, cleaning or replacement.

Tools required:

#0 flat blade screwdriver
#1 flat blade screwdriver
#2 Phillips head screwdriver
10mm combination wrench
12mm combonation wrench
Wire cutters

A replacement vibratory pump can be sourced here: UKLA EFX5 Vibratory Pump

tempo_pump_tools

Before continuing ensure the machine is fully cooled and disconnected from the power source.

Part I: Removing the Pump

First, remove the top panel of your machine. Identify the pump.
Begin by removing the silicone inlet fitting. Prying gently with the flat blade of a standard screwdriver may help release this from the barbed inlet of the pump.
Using the 10mm wrench with one hand, and bracing the plumbing assembly with the other, disconnect the teflon tubing that connects the outlet of the pump "tree" to the boiler.
Next, gently remove the spade connector from the pump housing. The flat blade of the #0 screwdriver may help loosen this with a gentle twisting or prying motion.
Leave the yellow wiring harness attached to the pump. Remove the zip tie holding the plastic spade connector cover in place.

Slide the cover out to reveal the spade connector beneath. Holding the metal portion of the connector, gently wiggle this loose. Avoid pulling on the wiring as it may damage the crimp connector.
Once the wiring has been disconnected and the pump is free at both ends, the inlet vibration damping mount now can be removed by gently prying. It is only necessary to remove the inlet side:
The outlet side can then be freed from the machine by removing the single Phillips head screw.
Finally, before lifting the pump out of the machine, be sure to clip the zip tie that connects the pump priming valve tubing to the reservoir.

It may be necessary to pry on the tubing to loosen it from the barbed fitting, do so gently to avoid tearing the silicone tube.

Wiggle the tubing free:
The pump assembly is now fully disconnected!

Part II: Replacing the Pump

Now that the pump has been removed from the machine you can begin the procedure of swapping the components over to the new pump.

Start by removing the elbow fitting from the pump body. There are 14mm tool flats on the pump itself, as well as 10mm tool flats on the elbow fitting to assist with this.

Arrange the combination wrenches like so:

Squeeze the wrenches together in your hand to most effectively apply force to the fittings

The pump pulsor, priming valve, and check valve are now disconnected from the pump body:
Once the plumbing tree has been removed, disconnect the mounting bracket by gently pulling or twisting until it is free of the pump outlet.
Finally, remove the blue thermal fuse from the pump by gently pulling on the wires until it is free. This friction fits onto the pump like so:
Follow through these instructions in reverse order to reinstall the replacement pump. See below for an annotated reverse order of operations as outlined in Part I:

Adding some zip ties to secure the silicone tubing and fuse wiring harness terminal cover is recommended.

Trim off the excess from the zip ties to complete the repair!

Note: It is advisable to test the machine at least once with the top cover removed to ensure there are no leaks on any of the fittings. Once the pump has primed itself and water is able to flow from the group, place your backflush blank in the portafilter handle and lock this into the grouphead. Perform a backflush while visually inspecting the fittings, particularly those detailed in Part II, Step 1. If any leaks are observed, adding a few wraps of teflon tape to the threads may help resolve the issue.

See also: