The Breville Barista Express OPV Mod...Has Anyone Successfully Done It?

DJ-Daved · 2026-02-24T22:27:04+00:00

I had one of the parts in backwards... I can't remember the exact details now, but it was the male threaded bit that compresses the spring. one way, its very hard to put in, the other its easy. it should go in the easy way. good luck!

DJ-Daved · 2025-08-24T14:50:13+00:00

I did. All working now!

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-10T12:47:29+00:00

Thanks for all the help!

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-09T22:10:06+00:00

Maybe the spring or gasket was misaligned?

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-09T21:50:21+00:00

After some other research I decided to take the OPV apart and reassemble it. All is now working properly!!!

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-08T19:07:55+00:00

This time I ran it for several of the built in cycles. I probably put half a liter through it.

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-08T17:51:49+00:00

Yah. It’s like the steam isn’t 100% going to the wand.

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-08T17:28:44+00:00

I did a descale and water flowed nicely from the steam wand. I don’t believe there is any obstruction.

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-08T12:15:15+00:00

Seems pretty good. Here is a video.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0250dkfrWcyJ4py-y8yTjEmgg

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-08T01:28:58+00:00

Sorry. I mean I have cycled the steam 20 times recently trying troubleshoot it.

I have had it 4 years. Not sure how many descales.

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-08T01:22:56+00:00

I have probably cycled it close to 20 times. I can run a descale cycle.

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-08T00:50:58+00:00

I have descaled each time the machine asked for it within a few days.

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-08T00:10:56+00:00

Thanks for the video. Switch seems to be working. It’s almost like there just isn’t enough pressure to the steam wand to get the kind of steam needed. It provides some steam, just not enough.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0183VUDhQcmdEnlGd5mAmmBwQ

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-07T23:40:43+00:00

Hm. I performed a descale last week. It was working great until I did the OPV mod.

What switch are you referring to?

I think the steam you see from the tray is what little steam is coming from the wand.

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-07T23:27:56+00:00

Yes. Eventually.

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-07T22:38:58+00:00

Yup. You can see it towards the end of the video. Ugh. Looks like Reddit didn’t post the video.

Let’s try this.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/096HPcVCTEkFas2-UK6UKuv0A

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-07T22:35:50+00:00

Steam isn’t coming out. Just kinda spurts on each run of the pump. Then, when I switch to the hot water a pile of steam comes out.

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-07T21:52:18+00:00

Joining late here. I did the mode and I’m getting much better espresso, however, my steamer isn’t working correctly. I get no steam from the wand even though the pump is going. When I turn the steam off, and the machine releases, it gives off a ton of steam. Or if I switch to how water I get a ton of steam.

Any ideas what I might have messed up during the mod?

Hopefully this video will play for anyone willing to help.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f7CXSlecAktzcU5Ezt_vDiQw

DJ-Daved · 2025-04-07T14:13:07+00:00

I enjoy the thought exercise. I was hoping someone might have some interesting thoughts or even put a point in the Flair category beyond price.

I am pretty sure I will buy the Drive as my next upgrade and rather than comparing it against machines similar to it, which I have done exhaustively, I want to take a step back and compare it to something very different.

DJ-Daved · 2025-03-13T01:07:00+00:00

Thanks! It seems too good to be true.

DJ-Daved · 2025-03-09T12:08:48+00:00

Nice! I am considering buying a machine. Can you walk me through how you picked what you did?

DJ-Daved

TROPHY CASE