Lyman 450 repair

[armednfree]

The die retaining nut on my lyman 450 is stripped out. Any way to fix that? It is clearly stripped on the casting side. This design is really kind of stupid. 30 TPI fine threads on a casting.

[trixter]

Just call Lyman and order a new one. They have been very good to me in helping me get the parts I needed for mine.

[Maven]

anf, I had the same problem as you, i.e., the very fine threads on the body casting were stripped. A new retaining nut didn't work either* According to "the perfessor," a member here, it is an obsolete thread design, meaning the chances of getting it repaired are nil. My "solution" was to strip the unit, saving the parts of course, remove the lube from the body casting, and throw the body away**. Look for a used #450 at a gun show or swap meet, possibly even EBay since a new body casting [from Lyman] will be prohibitively expensive and they won't/can't repair the old one.


*A new retaining nut may work IF you thoroughly remove the accumulated lube from the body threads.

**I was able to do this because I had an RCBS LAM II as a back-up. With either the LAM I or II there's little chance of stripping the very coarse threads. Moreover, the body casting of the II is virtually identical to that of the #450 + it dropped right into the space and bolt holes for the #450.

[theperfessor]

If the casting is stripped out then you are facing a real problem. Trixter is right, if it's just the nut you can get a new one from Lyman.

If it is the casting the only solution I can see is to somehow bore out the stripped hole and then either: (a) glue in a ring with the proper internal threads , or (b) thread the hole to a little larger size and screw in a home-made Heli-coil ring.

(I would make the internal threads to fit the RCBS nut if I did the rebore-and-plug.)

Either way involves accurately boring out the threaded hole in the casting. If you had a milling machine and a boring head and a long enough boring bar you could do it.

I rebuilt and line bored my old 450 a while back. I would estimate that it would take about an hour to line up the luber body on the mill and bore out the hole. More if you have to run a tap in. Another fifteen to thirty minutes to make the threaded insert and fit it in place.

Figure the better part of two hours (minimum) to do the repair. If you can do it yourself then the time means nothing. Pay a pro like Buckshot or some of the other fine professional craftsman here and the cost might be prohibitive.

The die retention nut dimensions are one reason I would buy a new RCBS before a new Lyman luber.

[armednfree]

Well, the obvious answer is to can it all together. I never really liked what they do to boolits anyway. I really only used it for gas checked boolits.

So I'll drop back to when I was poor, with a little alteration. I'll tumble the boolits in a light coating of the alox/ Johnsons wax mix, seat the gas checks and run them through a Lee sizer. Then pan lube them. I don't make many of these so speed is not an issue. I might make 100 at a time a couple times a year for hunting.

Pan lubing worked very well back in the day. I actually think it is a better system, but slower.

[bob208]

one way would be to drill and tap 8-32 holes from the side about two of them at 180 deg apart. just below the top where nut screws in the hold the nut with set screws.

[dragonrider]

If you remove all the extranious peices associated with removeing the boolit from the die you could use it as a push through sizer after tumble or pan lubing. Just a thought.

[Pooch]

I've never liked those very fine threads on the 450/4500. Upon first changing/installing dies in my first 450 I knew that I had to be careful & patient & installing the nut. Lyman could have done a better job.

[rbuck351]

I hate the fine threads. I always put the nut on the top of the sizer die and install them together to keep them lined up. I then put a nickle on top of the nut then push it down with the top punch while turning the nut. I have used mine since about 1970 without ruining those tiny threads yet.

[9.3X62AL]

I was unaware that the RCBS LAM had coarser/better retainer nut threading than does the 450/4500. I just bought a 2nd 4500, and would have opted for the RCBS unit had I known this. Granted, I've used the Lyman tools (3 of them, all told) without incident to date, but I have been MONDO CAREFUL with die installation since Day 1. Even a social science major like me can tell a weak link from a bullet-proof system.

[Wally]

I was unaware that the RCBS LAM had coarser/better retainer nut threading than does the 450/4500. I just bought a 2nd 4500, and would have opted for the RCBS unit had I known this. Granted, I've used the Lyman tools (3 of them, all told) without incident to date, but I have been MONDO CAREFUL with die installation since Day 1. Even a social science major like me can tell a weak link from a bullet-proof system.

Been using mine since 1980...I stripped out one die retaining nut as I over-tightened it. The secret is to snug it and it will do just fine.

[rtracy2001]

Permatex makes a neat thread repair kit that may work. I have not used it myself, but when I worked in auto parts I heard good things about it.

It consists of an epoxy similar to JB weld and a special release agent. Clean the casting really well (boil it out, then use a degreaser, then the cleaning agent they include in the kit), apply the release compound to the threads of a new die retainer nut. Mix the epoxy and spread it onto the casting, then thread the nut into whatever is left of the old threads. Once the epoxy hardens it is supposed to be stronger than steel. May work, may not, if the casting/sizer is trash anyway, you have nothing to lose.

[alamogunr]

For those who haven't stripped their threads, the wrench theperfessor sells works. I have an old Lyman 450 and have always had trouble starting the retaining nut. The wrench makes it almost foolproof even for me.

[armednfree]

Permatex makes a neat thread repair kit that may work. I have not used it myself, but when I worked in auto parts I heard good things about it.

It consists of an epoxy similar to JB weld and a special release agent. Clean the casting really well (boil it out, then use a degreaser, then the cleaning agent they include in the kit), apply the release compound to the threads of a new die retainer nut. Mix the epoxy and spread it onto the casting, then thread the nut into whatever is left of the old threads. Once the epoxy hardens it is supposed to be stronger than steel. May work, may not, if the casting/sizer is trash anyway, you have nothing to lose.

Now that may be a solution!

[Wally]

I hate the fine threads. I always put the nut on the top of the sizer die and install them together to keep them lined up. I then put a nickle on top of the nut then push it down with the top punch while turning the nut. I have used mine since about 1970 without ruining those tiny threads yet.

I do the same, but use the die retaing nut wrench. I stripped out one retaining nut, but it was my fault, as I was overtightening it--you just have to snug it.....

[JDFuchs]

Out of fear of just that I turned my 450 into a devoted 30cal station using Carnauba Red and heater. And all other calibers that I change out and experimental home made lubes in a Lyman 45 that uses a set screw to hold the die in place. also the die change outs on the 45 are much quicker.

If you try the epoxy be sure the casting is dead clean! But it should work.