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Thread: lube buildup on spring area of piston

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy stubbicatt's Avatar
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    lube buildup on spring area of piston

    Guys, I think I may have to rebuild my star or something. There is a noticeable amount of grease/lube on the heavy gage spring that sticks out the back of the base, which I think has something to do with the pump feature of the tool. It is not a terrible amount, but I find after a couple hundred bullets I have to wipe off the spring.

    Suggestions? Ideas? What parts do you suppose I will need, and how to get in there to take it apart and fix it?

    Thanks in advance.
    Hate is a poison which one consumes expecting another to die.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master VHoward's Avatar
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    http://www.magmaengineering.com/PDF/Star_Sizer.pdf
    I looked at the exploded parts diagram and I think it might be part # S123 pump guide bushing. Maybe. Of course if you are running you lube to warm, it might ooze out where you don't want it to regardless of how well everything fits together.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy stubbicatt's Avatar
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    i don't have a heater for the sizer. i wonder if i should get one? i'd rather not have to do that. I'm running Emeritt's lube. No air assist either, just crank that handle on down a little after every 5 bullets or so.

    Thanks for the head's up on the parts diagram. Mine is a San Diego Star, I wonder if the current manufactured parts will fit, and how difficult it will be to extract that bushing and install a new one?
    Hate is a poison which one consumes expecting another to die.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master VHoward's Avatar
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    First before I went replacing parts, I would disassemble the unit and clean all the lube out. There may be old dried out chunks plugging up the works causing the pump to try pushing lube out somewhere else. I would remove the inspection plug from the side, heat the unit up with a heat gun or hair dryer, operate the handle so it activates the pump until you get all the lube out that you can. Then un mount it from where you have it mounted, remove the die, remove the lube screw cap and pull that out and put the unit into a boiling pot of water and leave it there until you no longer see any gunk coming out of it. The leaving it in the water, let it all cool to room temperature. When it is all cool, the residual lube that is floating on top will solidify and you can remove it and not have the greasy sticky star when you remove it from the water. Dry it off and run the hair dryer over it until it is mostly dry and inspect. Try running lube through it again and see if it still seeps backward past the lube pump. If it does, then it is worn out and needs replacing. When you call Magma for parts, just tell them it is an old San Diego Star.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy stubbicatt's Avatar
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    Good advice. Thanks VHoward.
    Hate is a poison which one consumes expecting another to die.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check