Oh, and Eric, I measured the opening of the restrictor to be darn close to 1/32".

RAS wrote:One difference is that I've insulated my boiler (with 300-degree F foam),

@RAS: The insulation is a good idea. Can you send me the specs of this material?

Best regards and have a nice evening.
streezz

You bet - it's called "Elastomeric Sheet Insulation", and it's 1/2" thick (which fits perfectly in the space you've got around the boiler), is easy to cut, and sort of easy to install. I did it when my machine was apart - this made getting around some tight spots far easier. On top of the boiler, I used a scrap of some insulation I bought from Orphan Espresso - I think it's 3/8" thick.

The elastomeric insulation I bought is rated from -297 to +300 degrees Fahrenheit, and comes in a BIG sheet (anyone interested in some contact me via PM) and is called "Nomaco Kflex". It's intended use is piping, ducts and tanks...

Here's the best picture I could find showing at least part of my insulated boiler:


You can see some of the "Gorilla tape" (I think it's also called "gaffer's tape") that I used to hold pieces in place. It's rated for high-temp, and is quite tenacious... some say it'll even stick to water!

. . . I measured the opening of the restrictor to be darn close to 1/32".

That size and that pump work well together - ABOUT 0.5 bar pressure loss at AVERAGE brew rates. You MIGHT consider having Fluid-o-Tech rebuild your existing pump - or at least get an estimate. Shipping costs may erode the savings BUT at least there won't be any doubt as to the configuration of the snout and the sealing of same.

...now I have an insulation too...
I've installed a flexible EPS (expanded polystyrene) and it works great. The top I've left open for preheating the cups...

Best regards
streezz