I am just starting out in coffee and espresso and have just acquired a used Europiccola through ebay. The previous owner had it serviced about a month ago, all gaskets were changed and the exterior of the machine looks good. However there are two problems that I have with the machine and am not sure if I should be worried about it.
Firstly the machine doesn't seem to be aligned to me, the whole boiler group seems to be 'rotated counterclockwise' as seen from the top:


I am not sure if it was meant to be like this, and I suppose I could open up the base or so to 'fix it', but as someone who is new to this I was hoping I can avoid dismantling the machine now.

Another issue I have is that when I try to run water through the machine without coffee, I find that I have 'black specks' in the water that comes out. This happens when the machine is at operating temperature with the portafilter inserted. It does not happen when the portafilter is removed, and it also does not happen when the machine is cooled down. Just running hot water through the portafilter externally using a kettle does not cause this as well.
So there is something about the combination of the portafilter inserted into the machine at operating temperature that causes black specks to appear. Any idea what could be the cause of this? I am worried that the black specks may appear in the coffee I eventually make, and I would hope to avoid ingesting unknown stuff.
Thanks!

Spun boiler is a common issue that is mostly just irksome but won't impact performance as long as it isn't actively swiveling while you are mid-pull. A forum search for 'Europiccola swiveling on base' will give you many threads with tips for mitigating this.

I suspect the black bits are parts of piston seals or the PF gasket that could be leftover pieces of the old gaskets, if the prior owner didn't thoroughly clean out the old gaskets upon replacing them. Old, ossified gaskets can fuse themselves to surfaces and unless one meticulously cleans with a pick tool or similar, small particles can be left behind. Might be what you're seeing.

Just my theory though!

These machines are more apt to "swivel" when hot in my experience. My 1978 moves rather freely when up to operating temperature, otherwise not. I simply try to keep it at the correct orientation by gently turning it when it is hot. I have a 1999 machine, it uses the plastic ring, and it does not swivel. This was a bad modification, it turns out, and eventually La Pavoni went back to making these from metal again.

Black specks might be bits of ground coffee that has gotten into the space under the piston.

It is very important for owners of these machines to understand exactly how the various parts function in order to have the control needed to make extraordinary espresso.

Thanks for the information! I would be glad to try and learn as much as possible about the machine to make better espresso, and this forum is definitely helping a lot in that!

The boiler doesn't actually swivel, it is quite fixed in place although it is misaligned. It should not hinder the operation of the machine in any way other than forcing me to place my cup more towards the right edge of the drip tray. I guess I will leave it as it is for now and maybe open up the base some day to realign it once I learn more about the machine.

The black bits are indeed more worrying to me as I have flushed the machine multiple times by draining the boiler through the grouphead, but I still see the black bits. What is weird is that it requires the portafilter to be present and hot water to be present to show up. I would think if it is due to some old gaskets pieces, the bits will still show up if I remove the portafilter, but they don't, and the I think that should be the case with stuck ground coffee as well.

Maybe remove the PF gasket and inspect it for damage. Could it be that it is the source of the black bits?

jayeff34 wrote: I am not sure if it was meant to be like this, and I suppose I could open up the base or so to 'fix it', but as someone who is new to this I was hoping I can avoid dismantling the machine now.

Everything you have been told so far is good advice and info. I will just add a couple of things:

First, removing the black plastic bottom cover should not be considered "dismantling" the machine. You should do this right away if you bought the machine used, because it is very common that water has gotten under there and has caused rusting that you cannot see from the outside. You will need to address the cause, if there is any rust. Also, that is where the sticker is, that tells you what year your machine was made, which is good info.

Second, over your life of ownership, you will have to become familiar and comfortable with dismantling your machine. It is part of routine maintenance, not just for the times when you have to fix something.

-Peter

I believe the black specks are most likely coffee that washed up into the grooves of your Leung while brewing and probably some under the piston/screen.

And these machines commonly become misaligned when the boiler swivels on the base when it is almost firmly fastened. Realigning it with some effort should straighten it even if it's a touch loose. There are many threads on ways to tighten the boiler flange or fasten it with an appropriate adhesive the is still removable.