Although I have the anti-vacuum valve I'm still purging and lifting the handle with good results I might add. I also notice that the pressure stays a lot more stable and doesn't drop as fast before.

I just received my temperature strip from Orphanespresso just as a guide to let me know the head is up to temp. I understand it may not be a reliable measurement but at least it will let me see a visual representation of the head coming up to temperature with every short stroke.

My two hole steam tip experiment was worse then the one hole bullet tip. It did heat up the milk faster but there was no visible movement of the milk. Macro froth was still present.
I'm going to seal and test the one hole tip for leaks then I will keep practicing. I have been there before with the Gaggia and over time I just got better at it and this just might be the same case where I will slowly stumble into the right technique.

As far as getting the coffee hot on the first pull it's no longer a problem thanks to you guys. My last extraction was a little hotter with less crema but it was just as tasty as this mornings shot.

I adjusted the pressurestat today and all of my problems have been solved. I also discovered a new trick to tame the head temperature in case it overheats.

I opened up the bottom of the machine and turned the pressurestat exactly 120 degrees just on a course guesstimate to get the shut off at .85 bar.
The good thing about this newer version of pressurestat is that it's not glued when it is set at the factory so it's user adjustable and easy to do. It would have been nice if there was mechanical linkage that extended outside the unit but I suppose it's not really necessary.

I fired up the machine and achieved what I believed to be 8.75 bar which I felt was good enough so no further adjustment needed.
The warming flush to heat the group was a bit better then before working its way gradually upto 70C. I decided to hold off on the short stroke pumps until I grinded the coffee. After adding the coffee to the portafilter I did one short stroke and my head temperature went up to 80c and was slowly creeping up to 85C which I thought would be ideal to start at considering the boiler water would be hotter since the adjustment. Locked in the portafilter and pulled a golden shot as good as this mornings.

Hit the steam and this time it was so much more powerful it whistled a little. I finally got the milk to move and no more macro foam. I was finally able to stretch the milk. It wasn't latte art quality froth but a vast improvement. I guess the steam power was just too anemic before.

I don't have the high end temp strips and the 90C head temperature was lit up strong and remained, so it made me wonder if I may have overheated the group which is something I will have to find out.
I'm the only one that uses the machine so overheating for multiple shots is not an issue but I think I figured out a way to rapidly bring down the group head temps quickly. By using the crushed function on the ice machine I can fill the portafilter and then place it in the group to act as a heat sink. It worked too well and brought the temperature down rapidly to a point where it may need another short stroke before another pull.

I have had very little time with the La Pavoni but I can honestly say that I had a lot more difficulty with getting it right with the Gaggia pump machine. I want to thank everyone for their insightful comments and I'm happy to be part of this lever group.

Congratulations!

To cool the group, rinse the portafilter under the sink or dip it in room temperature water. Lock it in for about a minute and you may find it's the exact amount of cooling you wanted.

Thanks Gary. If it wasn't for all of the contributions from you and others I probably would have been frustrated.
I have to admit I had to do quiet a bit of homework here to understand the machine but it paid off.
Those temperature strips really work well as a reference.