Some photos and videos of my shots. I think everything is working pretty well. Still likely need to dial in my grind and dose size. I'll have to watch some people pull shots with a naked portafilter and an Olympia Cremina. I've never seen so much foam at the portafilter basket. Also it seems like I'm getting less crema than before I serviced the machine with the double spout portafilter.

Thanks to everyone for the help. Definitely happy to receive any more feedback or advice.

I think you're right. It hadn't been serviced in like 10 years so it was very tacky. When I pulled the lever up I even had to hold the machine down by the drip tray.

w3agle wrote:There's still a downward pressure on the piston that you feel in the lever. As if it's being pulled down.

It is supposed to do that. It's boiler pressure pressing down on top of the piston. When you lift the lever and the piston clears the port in the side of the cylinder, pressure then blows water out whereas while the piston is below the port it exerts downward pressure on the piston. Carry on.

That's a nice, thorough job. What is your setting for boiler pressure? On a vintage one you want it to be about 0.9 bar. You can get some of the foaminess of those shots by pulling them too hot or by coffee being stale. Also a lack of crema can be from staling, or it can be from grinding too fine for the dose.

For temperature/boiler pressure, the idea is to be able to either walk up and pull a shot or for the boiler temperature to not overheat the group easily so that you can do half pumps that introduce water to the top of the group without releasing through the shower screen until the brew group is at your desired starting temperature. I've always been puzzled that Olympia Express and other manufacturers don't offer a group thermometer as an option to help people dial in shots. A lot of us add one ourselves, and they're available as an aftermarket item.

Now do you want one?