Lyman 450 Sizer Leak

[setterman]

I recently purchased a used Lyman 450 Sizer with Lyman heater attached to the base. When sizing .45/70 bullets and lubing with
C Red yesterday, I noticed that lube was being squeezed out between the bottom of the sizer base and the top surface of the heater
base. It was confined to the left front side of the sizer/heater bases. Any ideas of causes and/or cures?

Thanks

Setterman

[lancem]

it's leaking between the body and the lube screw out of the base. Easiest fixes I've found are to take the machine off the heater and clean both well then cut a gasket from either gasket material or cereal box will probably work and reassemble. I had a friend machine the bottom of mine flat and used RTV which has worked well for quite a few years now.

[imashooter2]

When I had the same problem, I added a cereal box paper gasket with Permatex High Tack between it and the sizer. No further issues.

[monadnock#5]

Good advice thus far. I will add that whatever sealant you use, let it set up "at least" 24 hours before you pressure it up.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Yep...I use a gasket as well...I use a type of paperboard that is just like a cereal box .

[bhn22]

There's an o-ring in the base of the forcing stem that needs to be replaced periodically. You can match your old one up at a hardware store.

[setterman]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I will make a gasket and use a sealant. I will
also be sure to check the o ring on the bottom of the forcing stem.

Setterman

[Iowa Fox]

How many guys have actually replaced that o ring on the bottom of the forcing stem? And, any tips or pointers on the job?

[imashooter2]

My tip is put a Permatexed gasket on there and let it leak past that O ring all it wants.

[labradigger1]

+1 on the gasket, o rings just dont last, especially once you use heat. Install gasket and dont worry about the o ring.
lab

[Adk Mike]

Funny thing I have a gasket under mine. Pretty simple fix. A lot easier than replacing the O ring.

[bhn22]

Really? The stem simply pushed out, then back in. I don't use that style of sizer any more, so I may be behind the curve a bit.

[Old School Big Bore]

First time I used a stiffer lube I sheared the swaged collar off the end of the pressure screw (no heater back then, I figured hey it's south TX, if my Heath bars and Crayolas melt why shouldnt this orange stuff?). I welded it back on but it didn't hold so I ordered a new one. It came with a new O-ring. I was having leakage so I placed a trued-up steel plate between the sizer and the hardwood 2X4 it was screwed to and put some grunt on the 3/8 hold-down bolts. Now I bought a Lyman heater and was disappointed to see that it came with dinky little 5/16" bolts that were only long enough to catch about two threads into the heater body, which is aluminum...recipe for disaster. So I dug some longer bolts out of the bin and checked the heater surface for flat, and the only seepage I'm getting is the gradual filling of the recess around the screw head at the bottom surface of the reservoir. I may still put a steel shim there to keep the screw from abrading the heater when I reverse the screw to fill the reservoir.

[Walter Laich]

the gasket is a great idea
be sure your not heating the lube too much--found out mine would run like water when it got too hot.
Also watch your pressure. With a heater it doesn't take much pressure

[AZ Pete]

My gasket is made of a piece of bicycle inner tube. No permatex needed. It's been sealing the bottom for 5 or 6 years with no issues. I dismounted the lubrisizer a couple of weeks ago to put it on a home made heater, and the butyl rubber had molded itself to the base of the lubrisizer, like it had been made for it.

I made the heater out of scrap aluminum and the heating element from a $5 coffee cup warmer. Works good so far.