A quick update for those waiting and/or following along...

From ordering the kit to delivery was a hair over 4 weeks - even considering that it sat at DHL's regional distribution center for a few days. US customs was about $30.

To echo other comments, the install is actually quite straight forward. Honestly, I think if you're willing to try, a reasonably handy person can accomplish this. The kit is nicely assembled, and there's little room to misassemble things. Reserving a day for the job seems like a good plan to reduce stress.

I installed the timer in the panel as opposed to the paddle surround. Picture below in case anyone considers this and wants to see what it looks like.

Arghhh should I go for this EMP mod or Grafikus's mod... geomoser were you consider Grafikus's mod before going for EMP mod? If yes, what made you pull trigger on this mod?! Also what is the cost for this EMP mod?

Yes, I considered the Grafikus mod. It was really appealing from a value perspective (ironic considering the "value" of the LMLM). I still think it would be an awesome upgrade.

For me, I was a bit annoyed by the loud factory pump, and constant rattles associated there with. I also really wanted to play with declining pressures, and constant "lower-bar" shots.

It's difficult to describe how much quieter the machine is.

All that said, I really appreciate the opportunity the stock LMLM gave me to focus on good puck prep!

Probably best to contact Rick directly for pricing... he was very responsive to my questions, and lays out costs of options.

Already email Rick! Appreciate for the reply~ my concern is can I really do it by myself

If I can do it anyone can. I really enjoyed the installation. Plus it did make me more confident to do other maintenance as it comes.

Congrats on the install @geomoser. The timer location looks nice.

I've had my EMP mod installed for a week now and I'm still struggling with it. Slick engineering for sure - the brushless dc motor is a joy to listen to and the level of control is impressive. But I haven't had a decent shot of espresso from it yet. I have no experience with lever machines so I admit I don't know what the pressure profile should look like.

Another oddity that I noticed - I'm plumbed in, when I leave the machine on for an extended period of time, the blue water light will flash like it's low on water which isnt actually possible. When I move the paddle on, the blue light stops blinking and everything is normal again. -**update** fixed by securing loose screw on plate that disables low water sensor.

I'll continue playing with it, in the mean time, at least I enjoy looking at it, hearing the motor, and playing with the paddle.

CoffeeTeaNMe wrote:Already email Rick! Appreciate for the reply~ my concern is can I really do it by myself

Rick will include a link to his YouTube video that is around 2hrs where he details the list of tools and demonstrates every single step involved. You can decide for yourself if you want to take it on after watching. It's a lot of steps but the video literally shows you how to do all of it.

gocanes wrote:Rick will include a link to his YouTube video that is around 2hrs where he details the list of tools and demonstrates every single step involved. You can decide for yourself if you want to take it on after watching. It's a lot of steps but the video literally shows you how to do all of it.

Good to know that there will be a YouTube link! especially a 2hour long, not 20min, given average seeing people spend 8-9hours for the installation! Looking forward to Rick's reply

curious:

What grinder are you using? Looks EK like.

What basket(s) are you using?

What beans are you using and what roast level?

What brew temperature are you using?

I have a monolith max - I am not close to burr on burr grinding and after pre-infusion routinely am in the 25-30sec infusion.

My best success has been with the E&B superfine basket - worth a try if interested.

I've experimented with slayer style vs lever declining profiles. I prefer lever. But consider trying 6bar only or other straight profiles to start.

I'm sure with a bit of practice and patience you will figure it out. You may need to try a different basket, raise the temp especially if light roast and in time I'm sure you will get a great result.

I still run mine off the reservoir so I can't help on the plumb-in. Strange that it is acting like that. Might be a water sensor issue but I am no expert.

good luck! Love the color!

gocanes wrote:Congrats on the install @geomoser. The timer location looks nice.

I've had my EMP mod installed for a week now and I'm still struggling with it. Slick engineering for sure - the brushless dc motor is a joy to listen to and the level of control is impressive. But I haven't had a decent shot of espresso from it yet. I have no experience with lever machines so I admit I don't know what the pressure profile should look like.

Another oddity that I noticed - I'm plumbed in, when I leave the machine on for an extended period of time, the blue water light will flash like it's low on water which isnt actually possible. When I move the paddle on, the blue light stops blinking and everything is normal again.

I'll continue playing with it, in the mean time, at least I enjoy looking at it, hearing the motor, and playing with the paddle.

Thanks dockoelboto, it's my favorite color.

I'm running an ek with SSP brew burrs. Basket is a 18g vst. Seems like, with a long soaking preinfusion, I need to grind a lot finer than I'm used to.

Updated:
After a few weeks of pulling shots on the EMP, I think I'm finally at a place where I'm pulling tasty shots. At least for me, there was a bit of a learning curve coming from a stock LMLM to having preinfusion and flow/pressure controls.

Regarding the blinking blue light, it was a loose screw on the plate that disables the water sensor. Nothing to do with the EMP mod.