I just ordered a new atty for my LEA, and I can assure you it is the same atty as the original, with the same wicking problem. They all work well for about a week or two, then people give up on them. Whether or not they are re-designed now, or they aren't, the system needed much more refinement before ever hitting the production line.
If you're sick of messin with it, just cut your losses and throw a LR 510 cartomizer onto it. Use it as a grab/go battery with a nifty on/off switch. Unfortunately the cap won't fit anymore, but at least it finally produces vapor w/out the headache.
The LEA could have been amazing, but instead, it became an overpriced battery mod for me. Overall, it's small and discreet, and I like knowing my battery status at all times, so mating it to the LR carto hasn't been all bad.