O ring replacement on 4500??

[rmcc]

Was sizing with Lyman 4500 the other night. It has a heater. After awhile I noticed there didn't seem to be much lube getting in the groove. Was using Lyman Orange Magic. Took top off andlube was clear to the top of resevoir. Backed out stem, what a mess, and found lube had got behind O rings and was bypassing seals. Does this happen often? I have an O ring kit so replacement was not an issue.

Am I doing something wrong with sizer?



Thanks,
Rich

[Reload3006]

orange may need a little heat to make if flow better.

[462]

Too much pressure applied by a pressure nut which has worn O-rings on a too soft lube (too much heat), would be my guess.

Any way, it's something I've never experienced.

[Mal Paso]

Was the lube reservoir hot? That heater can be More than enough for Orange Magic and I would unplug mine before it got hot. I used to get air pockets from the sticks. Mix my own lube now and pour it in liquid, no air pockets. Not all o-rings are the same. Lyman's o-rings put enough pressure on the reservoir wall that the plunger doesn't spin. Some Chinese o-rings won't do that.

[462]

Good advise, Mal.

Since I started mixing lube and pouring it into the reservoir, no more air pockets. Even if one doesn't mix their lube, melting it and pouring it will eliminate the pockets.

I bought some hardware store replacement O-rings and they rolled about and tore in no time. Lyman's are probably made in China, too, but they seem to be much more stout.

[Freischütz]

That happened to me, and I found it was a result of too much heat. I use Carnauba Red and found that 85-95 ºF produces good flow with moderate pressure. Over 105 ºF produced lots of lube squeezing through the brass gasket on my Lyman 450.

[snuffy]

I need the 2 O rings for my 450 sizer piston. I looked high and low on the "so called" lyman website, no mention of where to get repair parts! Need a few O rings for the dies too.

[Dale53]

If you are using the Lyman heater for your lube/sizer (whether Star, RCBS, Lyman or Saeco) then you would be well advised to plug it into a rheostat to adjust the temperature. I have the best results by having it JUST hot enough to fill the lube groove (s).

You can either build a rheostat using a light dimmer, use a Harbor Freight router speed control, or a Dremel speed control. Any of these will work well, it's just a matter of cost. Best price will be had by building your own if you have the electrical knowledge (it's really pretty simple).

Failure to heat when using the higher melting point lubes (like Carnauba Red) can lead to excess pressure on the pressure feed screw that can result in damage to the sizer.

Just a thought or two...

Dale53