R&R Heating element on Lee Prod IV pot?

[HardColt]

I just ordered a new heating element for my Lee Pro IV from Titan Reloading.It arrived today together with the Lee #20 melter. My Pro IV is 110V and have a lot of mileage on it until it quit when I was home on leave last year. I am looking for an IPB ( Illustrated Parts breakdown) on this pot so at least I have an idea how to pull the heating element in the least amount of time and get my original pot back into serviceable status. I have about approximately 3/4 of frozen lead ingots in the pot when it quit heating and I still need to figure out how to melt that within the unserviceable pot. Do I need to pull out the tub inside the pot to get to the coiled heating element? Since from the top there seems to be a couple of screws holding the top insulation to the tub. The wiring doesn't seem complicated enough but have plans to by pass the rheostat so I can directly plug it into a PID controller which will also be finished when I get back on leave this June. Appreciate any help and inputs. Thanks.

[snuffy]

You're going to have to completely disassemble the pot. The way it's built, everything hooks into other parts to make up the whole unit.

You will not have to melt the lead out of the pot. The only problem will be dealing with the weight. The element is screwed to the back tower from the inside-front of the tower. The electrical hook up is simple sliding metal connectors on the wires that slide onto a bayonete/blade type of hook-up to the element. Twist the two nuts loose that hold the element to the tower, then pull it loose and slide it off the pot. There's no insulation to deal with.

As for eliminating the thermostat, it's just removing the jumper from the T-stat to the element, then simply hooking the live wire directly to the element.

Edited to add thanks for your service, and stay safe!

[HardColt]

Thanks for the info Snuffy. I am really looking forward to disassembling the old pot and putting it back to serviceability. I have casted thousands of 230 gr. LRN 45 ACP in it and continue to do so once it is repaired. Appreciate the advice on not melting the frozen lead ingot in it. The weight is manageable once I place it on my workbench/reloading table. I was wondering too on how long I was going to hold that bottled MAP gas before it melts? Guess, the wondering is over.

[Casting Timmy]

I would recommend leaving the tstat on the Lee pot, but just crank it up all the way. This way in case something happens your casting pot has a back up so it won't overheat. It could save you heating element and doesn't cost anything leaving it on there.

[HardColt]

C.Timmy.
Thanks for the info on the Tstat. I was thinking about that too. Just cranking the Tstat on the pot to max since it will be plug into the PID and the Tcouple on the PID will be maintaining the temp on the pot. The PID I am building (or half built) is a sort of independent box that plugs to the house wall socket, and since it is an old(gutted) voltage regulator step up/step down transformer case, it already have plugs for 120v and 220v outlet. Scraped the 220v outlet and will be cutout so the PID from Aubrin which was delivered to my home station will be mounted in, together with the SSR, Tcouple. I already installed the light indicators, toggle swithces even used the meter built with the transformer case to monitor the voltage input. I will just leave the Tstat switch on the Lee pot once I've replaced the heating element.