Dale53
03-23-2008, 09:11 PM
As I have mentioned several times recently, I got my second Dillon 550B. The original one has loaded thousands of loads of about a dozen different rifle and pistol calibers since I got it (right after they hit the market). I can't really tell you what year I bought it, but it has been in the late 70's or early 80's. I have performed NO maintenance on it other than keeping it clean and making sure the powder slides were regularly cleaned and occasionally lubed with DRY teflon to keep them running smooth (you are NOT to use ANY oil on these slides as it will migrate to the primers with bad things happening). I did keep the main shaft lightly oiled and greased the shell plate bolt when changing calibers (a bit of lubriplate on the underside to this plate in the index ball track is a GOOD idea for smooth indexing).
At any rate while running some .45 ACP's today, I noticed that the action was getting sluggish. It was taking more effort to operate the press than need be. I ended up partially removing the "link arm pin" (what is now part #13700). The original link pins were retained with "circlips". The circlips were easy to remove with a pair of needle nose pliers. But the pin was jammed (it had galled in the left link arm bushing). It was necessary to run a "c" clamp over the two links to prevent me from possibly bending the left one when I tried to drive the pin through from the right side of the press. Clamping the two links so that they maintained their relationship with each other allowed me to drive the pin out to the left with no danger of damaging anything. I drove the pin out about 75% so I could fully access the bushing in the right link which I cleaned and oiled. I could see that the pin had galled somewhat in the left link. However, I cleaned the pin with Ed's Red, dried it, then lubed it with Dexron II transmission fluid. This is far superior to the motor oil suggested (motor oil does NOT provide much rust prevention where as transmission fluid both lubricates and protects). Then I re-installed the pin and everything is back to normal again (working just as smoothly as the new press).
I was thinking that this press would benefit from oil holes in the links and bushings. I was seriously considering calling Dillon and suggesting that for new presses. About this time, I looked over at the new press I had set up last week and discovered that the new press WAS drilled for oil holes[smilie=1:). Oh well, my chance to "save the world" had long since passed. At least, my intentions were good:roll:.
At any rate, I might suggest that anyone who hasn't lubed his link pin in a while might want to do that. It will be much easier to get the pin out if you do it BEFORE it galls from primer grit, etc[smilie=1:.
I am a little ashamed that I hadn't done that before, but in truth, I hadn't. I regularly wipe off the main shaft and lube it with Dexron every few months. It is only necessary to use a cleaning patch wet with lube and wipe it on. There is absolutely NO necessity to have it dripping wet (in fact, that will just attract dirt and fired primer residue). Note that I WILL be performing "pin maintenance" on my presses from time to time. No more galling for me...
Incidentally, the link pins on newer presses are now retained by nuts on the ends of the now threaded link pin. You can just put a drop of oil in each of the oil holes from time to time. If you do that every few months, you will NOT have the galling problem that I experienced.
Just a thought or two...
Dale53
At any rate while running some .45 ACP's today, I noticed that the action was getting sluggish. It was taking more effort to operate the press than need be. I ended up partially removing the "link arm pin" (what is now part #13700). The original link pins were retained with "circlips". The circlips were easy to remove with a pair of needle nose pliers. But the pin was jammed (it had galled in the left link arm bushing). It was necessary to run a "c" clamp over the two links to prevent me from possibly bending the left one when I tried to drive the pin through from the right side of the press. Clamping the two links so that they maintained their relationship with each other allowed me to drive the pin out to the left with no danger of damaging anything. I drove the pin out about 75% so I could fully access the bushing in the right link which I cleaned and oiled. I could see that the pin had galled somewhat in the left link. However, I cleaned the pin with Ed's Red, dried it, then lubed it with Dexron II transmission fluid. This is far superior to the motor oil suggested (motor oil does NOT provide much rust prevention where as transmission fluid both lubricates and protects). Then I re-installed the pin and everything is back to normal again (working just as smoothly as the new press).
I was thinking that this press would benefit from oil holes in the links and bushings. I was seriously considering calling Dillon and suggesting that for new presses. About this time, I looked over at the new press I had set up last week and discovered that the new press WAS drilled for oil holes[smilie=1:). Oh well, my chance to "save the world" had long since passed. At least, my intentions were good:roll:.
At any rate, I might suggest that anyone who hasn't lubed his link pin in a while might want to do that. It will be much easier to get the pin out if you do it BEFORE it galls from primer grit, etc[smilie=1:.
I am a little ashamed that I hadn't done that before, but in truth, I hadn't. I regularly wipe off the main shaft and lube it with Dexron every few months. It is only necessary to use a cleaning patch wet with lube and wipe it on. There is absolutely NO necessity to have it dripping wet (in fact, that will just attract dirt and fired primer residue). Note that I WILL be performing "pin maintenance" on my presses from time to time. No more galling for me...
Incidentally, the link pins on newer presses are now retained by nuts on the ends of the now threaded link pin. You can just put a drop of oil in each of the oil holes from time to time. If you do that every few months, you will NOT have the galling problem that I experienced.
Just a thought or two...
Dale53