Shoulda done it sooner

[btroj]

Loading some 45 ACP on the Dillon 550 today I noticed a bit of a hitch in the get along. Ram had a bit of binding at either end of the stroke.
Looked online for disassembly instructions. Decided it was doable.

Got her torn down, cleaned up, relubed, and back together.

The difference is unreal. Ram stroke is smooth and quiet.

A couple or the pivot pins had some galling that a bit of careful stoning removed. A bit of 400 wet/dry paper cleaned up the pins otherwise.

I should have done this years ago. Press is better than 15 years old and this is the first real tear down. It won't be that long before it happens again.

[Jailer]

What? Even a venerable Dillon requires a little maintenance to keep em running smooth? :kidding:

Once I have a suitable location I'll take a drink of the blue cool aid. Until then my Lee products will have to suffice.

[btroj]

Yeah, I know.

I should have been doing a better job of oiling the pivot points all along.

I did use a standard brown lithium grease. Using a red extreme duty grease just seemed wrong on a Dillon.

[r1kk1]

I take my 550 down to bare nuts once a year at least and clean as well inspect for wear. After 100k of rounds, it used less than a handle of parts not including plastic primer tube ends.

Take care

r1kk1

[grampa243]

I use red extreme pressure grease on my Dillon. just because it has better staying power..

plain moly grease needed re-greased after 50-100 rounds.. switched to red and have went 500 without feeling the need the grease :)

[btroj]

500 rounds before re-greasing? I had gone 15 years! I figure 25 K rounds or more, probably lots more.

I plan to go way beyond that. I will add oil but I won't tear down, clean, and re-grease for another year is up.

[smokeywolf]

You'd be hard pressed to do better than "CMD Extreme Pressure Lube No.3" on those pivot points.

[MarkP]

I have been using synthetic 140 wt gear lube on my presses; guide posts, rams, and pins.

[kmag]

My manual for both of my Dillon presses recommends 30 wt. motor oil. Been using it for about 15 yrs. with out any problems. The only place it recommends any grease is under the shell plate.
Take Care,

[btroj]

They recommend 30 wt motor oil for the ram.

I took everything apart and used grease on the pins that the handle and linkage for the ram pivot on. That is where grease is used.

[grampa243]

500 rounds before re-greasing? I had gone 15 years! I figure 25 K rounds or more, probably lots more.

I plan to go way beyond that. I will add oil but I won't tear down, clean, and re-grease for another year is up.

the plain moly messed mine up..and it took a whle to work all the black grease out :roll:

and as far as greasing every 500 or so.. I also use my dillon with lee push-thur sizers with all my boolits so it get a good workout even before the loading starts :)

[Dave C.]

the plain moly messed mine up..and it took a whle to work all the black grease out :roll:

and as far as greasing every 500 or so.. I also use my dillon with lee push-thur sizers with all my boolits so it get a good workout even before the loading starts :)



What shell plate do you use?
Dave C.

[grampa243]

What shell plate do you use?
Dave C.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?196255-plate-for-using-lee-sizer-in-550b

[waco]

Man. I've had my Dillon 550 almost 15 years now. It was my uncles. I got it when he died. I'm not sure he ever had it apart. I know I have not. He bought it in the late 80's early 90's I think. Guess I'm due!

[btroj]

It wasn't that hard to get apart. Took an hour and a half or so. The difference in how smooth it was in unreal.

[CGT80]

Mine just got lubed.....................My 550 arrived at 8:30pm last night from the Santa with the white truck. Dillon's total was about $350 for the parts and labor, of course they only charged me $67 for the whole rebuild. The previous owner probably bought it in the 1990's. The ram looks like it was either cleaned up with fine sand paper/machining or it was replaced. The linkage arms are new, they replaced the powder thrower I sent in, and the whole priming system is new. It feels much tighter now and it is nice to hot have any problems with priming. It got to the point where the priming system was unusable.

I had torn down and re-greased mine a couple times and I use 30wt oil just about every time I load. I think my 550 feels better now than when I bought it used. My 1050 still has a lot of use left in it. I probably only have 10-20k rounds on it, all in 9mm.

Today I loaded up test loads for my 30-30 with an NOE Saeco 315 PB. It is really nice to have such great manufacturers these days, especially considering all the import junk that we now have from China and similar markets. I do also really like my imported MP mold, but of course that is custom quality.

[Mike Kerr]

btroj is 100% correct about the difference in smoothness, handle resistance, and general ease of operation after tearing an older 450 or 550 down and greasing the pins etc. I have several 450's as well as a 550. I started taking older 450's I acquired and taking them apart, lubing the pins, then reassembling and was amazed at the difference in the presses.

They really feel like new. The first one I did took me longer (about 2.5 to almost 3 hours) than btroj reports but now I can do one in about 45 minutes, so its worth the time to me.

[Mike Kerr]

Duplicate post. Sorry.

[oldtrucks]

I've waited too long to service mine as well, thanks for the reminder

[1950Hudson]

My 550 has been in storage for ten years and is half torn down for cleaning just as I find this thread! Mine is old enough that the frame was originally from an earlier model, seems like a 450 or a plain 550, and I purchased an upgrade kit from Dillon to make it into a 550b. One of the pivot pins wants to walk out a little every now and then but that press has made a LOT of ammo.

Lots of stuff was stuck tight and I had to soak it with WD40 to break loose the screws. Not everything that was tight was due to neglect, however. I forgot about the set screw in the side of the ram that holds the top plate center screw from coming loose. Ooops. I got it apart before I remembered--and only have a little galling to clean up before I put it back together. Sigh!