This has been discussed before. The FCD works with the stock (less stiff) infusion chamber spring, but the stiffer spring that comes with the ECM FC mod kit is, as you say, more "intuitive" to use as it basically eliminates your ability to use traditional E61 preinfusion...you can mimic that if you wish by fiddling with the needle valve at the start of extraction or perhaps use other techniques that have been recommended here by others...like running the pump briefly then stopping for a couple of seconds then restarting extraction...though I'd prefer the more precise control you get from fiddling with the FCD.

My preference is to use the stock spring which allows the option of traditional E61 pre-infusion and works just fine with the flow control device. When I got my Pro700 w/the ECM FCD from WLL, I wrote them asking if they could send me a stock spring and they did...along with the stock mushroom...at no extra cost. Pretty darned good customer service!

The purpose of the stiffer spring is to make your pre-infusion valve function as the drain valve. If you're putting the flow control valve in, you will have the ability to control the pre-infusion very accurately with the paddle. You don't need a pre-infusion chamber anymore.
I would suggest taking the drain valve and spring completely out and leaving the bottom of the valve body empty down there. The doubled-up strong springs would simply cause more wear on the pre-infusion valve (that's now functionally a drain valve)'s cam-rider, they wear badly enough without help.

Thank you! Yes I am wondering about it because I had received the following reply from Whole Latte Love when I inquired about it:

The lower spring is a higher tension. This is to facilitate increased control over the flow. Since the upper jet is going to have the ability to allow a higher flow rate than intended, the higher tension is needed. All that to say that the flow Control is intended to work with the replacement spring so it may not function as you expect if you don't install it.

are they simply meaning that if I try to run the machine with a faster flow than the stock flow of 11g/sec that I may encounter problems?

dsc106 wrote:Thank you! Yes I am wondering about it because I had received the following reply from Whole Latte Love when I inquired about it:



are they simply meaning that if I try to run the machine with a faster flow than the stock flow of 11g/sec that I may encounter problems?

The reply is technically completely incorrect and I would ignore it.

Jrising has it completely correct...do exactly as he says

I have the stiffer spring installed and I still get line pressure pre infusion. I like it because the softer spring would sometimes drop from the halfway point doing line pressure only, causing it to stop flow. The stiff spring locks it into that mid point a lot better.

Something is worn in your group head. The stock spring should work properly. As others have correctly pointed out, the stiffer FC kit spring increases wear on the cam and cam follower (valve stem).

Doyxofthedons wrote:I purchased mine from Bellabarista.co.uk

Is yours installed as advised by JRising, and are you finding it helpful?

Having some trouble on the new pressure gauge installation that goes on the group.

The WLL video shows keeping in the white Teflon gasket when you remove the Allen nut. But they also show an older version of the gauge with nothing on the stem. The gauge I received has both a white Teflon ring and green o ring on it. So I assume I remove the white Teflon ring inside the machine by default, as I only need the one that comes with the gauge, right?

Second, I can't seem to get the darn gauge screwed in. It's like the stem isn't long enough. I am wondering if this is because of the green o ring? Or if I just suck at screwing things in? Again I seem to be having trouble getting the stem to start screwing into the hole because it's so short with the white Teflon ring and green o ring that ships with the gauge on the latest version from WLL.

Never mind. Found a tip somewhere, if anyone else has trouble it's a very funny angle, rocking the gauge up and down until it seats will do the trick. With the new gauge I did not use the stock Teflon washer since it comes with one already.

Now fully installed with FCD, I'm getting results I don't understand with flow. My stock flow was 10.9g/second - right in line with what Whole Latte Love says the ECM Synchronika should be. I would have thought this would be, like them, right around 1 or 1+1/4 turns...

But I am getting 11g/sec at 3/4 turn. At 1/4 turn, 6.25g/sec. At what feels like it should be the fully closed position (rotated closed as far as I can), I am still getting flow of 4g/sec when "closed".

So it seems that I need to get this closed another rotation, but I don't know how? Everything feels tight and snug and it seems like the lever is fully closed. How do I get it tightened up so that fully closed = 0g/second, and thus allow me to get more granule control like shown here @ 3:18:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Vz7aa_KtI

My numbers are obviously off.