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Thread: No Lube Pressure

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    No Lube Pressure

    I've got a Magma/Star sizer with the OEM heater and air cylinder. Using Magma lube.

    80 psi air pressure. I get lube out of the side plug, to and through the die, but get no pressure from the piston/cylinder when the handle is cycled. The return spring is completely compressed, but there is no pressure felt from the lube being pressurized. Lube groove is not filled out.

    Any ideas how to correct?

  2. #2
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    This may seem like a silly question, but are you pressing down all the way on the handle at the bottom of the stroke? A friend of mine had this problem on one I loaned him, because I forgot to tell him the bottom of the stroke opens the lube valve and allows the lube to flow to the sizing die.

    Also oil all the bearing surfaces and make sure they move freely.

    Hope this helps.

    Fred
    After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. - William S. Burroughs.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Like I stated, the return spring on the pump is completely compressed.

  4. #4
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    Is this the first time you've used this machine, or has it worked in the past and it's stopped working?

    Fred
    After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. - William S. Burroughs.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    It's always been a PITA in the past, but it will mysteriously start working. It just keeps getting worse and now it won't mysteriously start working. I've thought it was the lube sticking in the reservoir, so I've heated it. Put a PID on it because I thought maybe it was a temperature issue. It has to be a problem in the pump.

    I'm going to clean the soft lube out of the one I bought from Star and convert it to hard lube.

  6. #6
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
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    It looks like you will have to start it all up from the start.
    My Star dates from the mid '80s.Sometimes,in the mid '90s,I stopped using it for a little over 10 years.When I started using it again,I was experiencing the same kind of problems.I thoroughly cleaned it up(I mean the whole works!) and since then,the thing still is perking along like new at the rate of 30k bullets/year.
    Hope this helps.Good luck!

  7. #7
    Boolit Bub J. DIEGO's Avatar
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    Hello
    It seems to me that I also have little pressure on the star pump
    Is there any part that should be replaced?
    I'm afraid to dismantle without having the spare right now.
    Thank you

  8. #8
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    Before taking it apart, make sure your lube temperature is correct for it to flow. Also, check the Hycar washer that seals the lube reservoir pressure screw and make sure it's not allowing lube to leak around it.

    Hope this helps.

    Fred
    After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. - William S. Burroughs.

  9. #9
    Boolit Bub J. DIEGO's Avatar
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    thanks mate
    Today I was working with her, I gave more heat to the heating plate
    and what happened was that I filled in the two slots of my bullet
    I just want to fill a slot, that's more than enough.
    So I lowered pressure on the compressor, but it did not work as I would like
    return to lower temperature and to raise compressor pressure and I have to
    be watching one by one so they do not run out without grease.
    I have to say that I keep the lever pressure enough
    to take the dock almost at the end of its route, so for that reason
    I do not think it is.
    I prepared the fat and I used to use a lyman 450, it did not even occur to me
    filtrate a lot of fat, maybe have some possible unwanted residue that this
    generating some obstruction.
    I will have to check before dismantling the pressure pump.

    I do not understand what Hycar is, I use google as a means of translation.
    regards

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy billyb's Avatar
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    The Hycar is the seal that is attached to the pressure assembly. Did you attempt to adjust the top punch? the holes in the die need to line up with the lube groves on the bullet you are trying to lube.

  11. #11
    Boolit Bub J. DIEGO's Avatar
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    If it is adjusted, in fact it worked previously according to this
    but I get the feeling that something has changed, I notice it softer
    the lever, before did not have to exert so much force.
    I have looked at the star's manual on its website, but I do not see
    in the quartering the hycar or seal, an image would help me more, thank you.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy billyb's Avatar
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    go to Magma's web sight they have lot's of info and diagrams on their equipment. magma quail creek Arizona.

  13. #13
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    It's strange, for me there's something obstructing the lube either between the reservoir and the piston or between the piston and the die.
    I would do the following procedure that will take you approx 1 hour and would not hurt in any way:

    - Put some water to boil.If you have an old pot the better (as you could put the sizer inside)
    - Remove the pressure assembly and try to remove as much lube as you can.
    - Remove the brass screw on the lower part of the sizer.
    - Remove the sizing die (if it's installed).

    - Now that the sizer is dissassembled start pouring the boiling water inside the lube reservoir. You will see that the old lube will start flowing through the side where the brass screw was and will expose the piston. If you can put the base of the sizer inside the pot with boling water it's gonna be a lot better because this way it will be easier to get rid of the lube inside the conducts.
    The lube is quite soft and the boling water should remove all the old lube.

    - Now dry everything with some paper towel, an air gun, etc. It should be quite easy.
    - At this point you should have a sizer that is perfectly clean and supposedly without any obstructions.

    Now it's troubleshooting time:

    Add a quarter of a lube stick (to prevent making a mess), put the pressure assembly back and then (without installing the brass screw) crank up the pressure a little bit. If things go well you will see some lube flowing by the piston hole like tooth paste and you can install the brass screw.

    Now let's see if the piston is pumping lube. Crank the handle several times, remember that there's still some air between the piston and the "die housing". If it comes a point in time where you crank the handle all the way down and you see some lube flowing as result of this we're okay. If not, then there's an obstruction or the piston is not working.

    Assuming that so far so good, install the die (the die should be perfectly clean) and start cranking all the way down. This should first fill the cavity between the mid section of the die and its housing. It will come a point in time that you will see some lube coming out of every hole in the die and every time you crank the handle it will come out under pressure.

    If you went this far the sizer is working as it should and it's time to size some boolits! Otherwise let's see where it failed and how to fix it.

    I hope this helps.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    Finally got around to cleaning the soft lube out of my original Star sizer. Mounted it on the heater and got it setup. Purged the air out and had lube flowing out of the die.

    Same problem as the Star/Magma. Couldn't get any pressure out of it. Screwed with it and screwed with it. Finally took off the air cylinder and put the spring pressure feed unit in it. Problem solved.

    Don't understand it. Checked out the reg and the air cylinder. Both work. Apparently, 80 psi isn't enough pressure to keep the pump supplied. Don't understand it, but that's where I'm at with mine.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    Had the same problem yesterday after changing lube. It turned out that the temp where set too high. Try to turn it down a bit, so the pump get a little more resistance. It worked for me. Turned up the heat first because my first tought was too little heat and the problem got worse...... Good luck!

    Sent fra min SM-G930F via Tapatalk

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