Assemble the valve shaft according to the instruction which is pretty straight forward but need to be careful about the orientation of the "handle bar" and "hole" which would be in opposite direction



Insert the valve shaft assembly into the group

Insert the new microswitch with the original mount (the new microswitch's wire connector is wrong - should be "female"). (If you already done a Strada modification, you can use your current micro-switch [connect the red and black wire] and don't need the new one).

Before install the plastic cover, install the gauge and test the machine first.



Need to pay more attention to the placement of the micro-switch.
- Micro-switch close - means pump stop
- Micro-switch open - mean pump activate
when the handle bar is at the close position (far right side), the micro-switch is 'close' (pump stop)
when gradually move the handle bar from right to left, the micro-switch will 'open' (hear a click sound - pump activate), then the conical valve will open to allow water injecting to the brew head.
The micro-switch need to be open (pump activate) before the conical valve open. Try to position the micro-switch so that it will open (hear the click sound) before the handle bar pass the 5 O'clock position (middle) when moving from right to left.

caffeinezombie wrote:Very nice guide. I remember back when I replaced my exhaust tube, that 22mm socket that was deep enough took me awhile to find.

If possible, could you share where you purchased the upgrade kit and how much it cost? Been still sitting on pulling the trigger on this one.

I bought it from a Hong Kong agent, but took me two month to get it. The price is pretty reasonable USD 550. It worth the money, the kit contain nearly all the components inside the group head.

Viernes wrote:Great guide. Thanks for the effort.

Do you think the new conical valve worth it for someone who already has the strada mod? The installation seems not easy and components are expensive...

The travel distance of the handle to control the conical valve is much longer than the original Strada mod, which make the manual control of pressure much easier and repeatable. If you already mastered the control with the original Strada mod. I don't think is necessary to do this upgrade. Also the up-down movement of the gauge is more appealing than the circular movement when moving the handle, but LM said the new conical valve has less stress to the O-ring (up-down movement make the O-right much easier to wear out).

It is not difficult to do this upgrade, just need the right tools.

Finish!

Thank you afan. This is very timely for me; I have a call in to LM right now to order the parts. It looks a bit more involved than I expected, but I did do the Strava mod a few years ago and feel comfort digging in a bit more into the grouphead.

Brilliant writeup thanks mate

A little off-topic, anyone know what the RRP is for the new cool touch wand? I had a local installer get a price for me was almost $US900!

Great summary of the installation. I'm sure this will help a lot of people on HB, since the included instructions aren't exactly clear in some spots.

Wow!!! Thank you afan for the very detailed write up. Excellent job with taking good, hi-res pics as well!!!

I have the Strada mod on my GS/3 and have used the new conical valve at the La Marzocco Cafe in Seattle, and my impression was the same... Once you've mastered the old Strada mod, this upgrade probably isn't necessary (for me anyway), unless it yields some sort of drastic increase in longevity of the group head parts. And, from the conversations I've had w/ LM about the new Kalvrez o-rings, longevity shouldn't be much of an issue for the average home user if the o-rings were installed correctly.

That being said, if LM USA offers a smoking deal on this kit like they did when the new Kalvrez o-rings came out, I'd probably pull the trigger on it and just save it for a rainy day.