The little guy - Group Head Seal
This part can be replaced by you at at home. If in doubt please contact us.
WARNING: Do not attempt internal repairs.
Replacement Group head seal.
Purpose of the group head seal: To maintain a proper seal between the group head and the portafilter basket when extracting espresso.
- Replacement frequency:
- If your machine is used greater than once every three days, replace every six months, or
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- if your machine is used less than once every three days, replace every 12 months.
See the how-to video for how to remove the Group Head Seal and Group Head Shower.
Below, you will find various views of the Group Head Seal installed with the Group Head Shower.
The Group Head Shower fits inside the slit on the inside of the Group Head Seal.
When reinstalling, check that the shower screen is facing the right way — once it’s in correctly, everything works smoothly.
Closer to 7 years of solid use of The Little Guy, the screen seal had split. Without hesitation I purchased a new $44 seal. Within weeks of use the new seal had split. I reached out to the team at The Little Guy who sent out a replacement part ( seal ) free of charge which arrived within days so I could continue enjoying my morning brew. Excellent service without a doubt.
With just over a month and a half of use, the second replacement seal has now split in the exact same place and formation.see attached. I have reached out to the team again for a solution.
They have suggested that the basket could be worn, but in fact the basket does not make contact with the affected ( split ) side of the seal and is not worn. They say, make sure everything is clean. My machine is cleaned every day after use and no sharp objects are used in the process that could contribute to the splitting of the seal. Next they suggest a service and they will throwin a free 3rd seal. A very expensive exercise as I do not live in Melbourne, 1783km away. My machine works perfectly and does require a service at this point in time. The question points to the seals and year of manufacture. Everthing has an expiration date. Have these seals past theirs? Are they still being manufactured with the original materials or have they been substituted with something else? Apparently I am the only person in 5 years to have encountered this issue. Has anyone experienced similar issues? If not resolved, a simple seal will bring an end to The Little Guy as it will become an expensive ornament for all.
Hi Paul,
You’ve made up your mind that we’re sitting on a bad batch of seals and that we’re lying to you — that you know best, that a rubber seal should last seven years, and that there’s simply no other explanation.
Your solution of us perpetually sending you seal after seal until one magically works out of this supposed “bad batch” is, frankly, laughable. If that’s how rubber worked, The Little Guy would be making space shuttle parts, not espresso machines.
These seals cop heat, pressure, and cleaning chemicals daily — they’re a consumable part and typically replaced every year or two. That’s normal, not faulty. We’ve sold a lot of these and have never had one fail within a month, let alone two in the same month. That’s why we suggested checking your machine — something else is clearly at play.
Seeing as you don’t want to do that, we’ll just go ahead and refund you the original price of the seal you purchased.
Prompt delivery and easy installation. Back to brewing!
Fast service and fixed my issue - easy to install
Bought a replacement group head seal for The Little Guy and it’s exactly what it should be. Proper fit. No leaks. Machine back to pulling clean shots straight away. You forget how much pressure matters until it’s right again.
What stands out though is the company. Clear advice. No fluff. They actually explain why the seal matters, how to fit it, and what not to overdo. Old-school service. Rare now.
You get the sense these guys know the machine because they live with it, not because it’s on a spec sheet.
Serious bit of kit. Serious people behind it. Wouldn’t hesitate to buy parts or support from them again.
I had some pressure issues, and changing the seal fixed it. It was easy to change, and the service from the team was great.
Service was fantastic and the delivery was so quick. part fitted and machinw working great again.
Works great and fast shipping
A bit pricey but lasts between 1 and 2 years. Service was excellent and delivery super fast.
The Group Head Seal arrived in a timely fashion and was as expected in good condition.
I have had the little guy for over 5 years and makes a perfect espresso each and every time. A ritual a look forward to every morning.
Thanks for the advice from the team at The Little Guy .The machine is now working perfectly with the new seals.
It’s a great machine and makes good coffee 😊
All good! I added new o rings to the Little Guy after 5 years of solid use. Easy to order, quick delivery.