new? lee mold problem

[uncle joe]

Ok
I know there are a gillion posts here on how to repair a lee mold.
BUT
I just got a new lee 6 cav mold and read most all posts on leementing and had already read Beagling them but my problem does not seem to be mentioned here.

My mold seems to have a 'floppy' sprue plate. Being new to lee molds this may be normal I don't know. the screw that holds the plate on seems to be a stop bolt as we call them at work (a shank under the bolt head stops it at a certian height). There is a very thin spring washer just under the head but it will not hold the plate down on the mold top. When I cast with it the boolits drop out fairly well but the bottom of the boolit has spilled out on top of the mold in a thin layer between the sprue plate and the mold. Do I just need to find a washer to shim it with? Or is this something that will just be the norm with a lee mold.
any help will be nice
JE :Fire:

[JIMinPHX]

Just pulled my 2-banger apart. It has a shouldered bushing & a wavey washer, not a stop bolt. On the two-banger, there is supposed to be some give in the sprue plate joint, but it's not supposed to be "floppy". If you hold it by the handles & turn the mould over (upside down - sprue plate now on the bottom) the sprue plate should stay in contact with the mould blocks. If you pull the spru plate away from the blocks with your fingers, it should be able to lift off the blocks a little bit without much effort as the wavey washer gives. Don't pull hard & bend the sprue plate. I don't know if the 6-bangers are different or not.

[leadman]

I just bought a used Lyman mold that had the same problem. I found a small metal seal off some old diesel fuel system to shim it with. If you can't find a washer you might try Ace Hardware or another hardware store. Some carry assortments of copper or other soft metal sealing washers that work well.

[Buckshot]

..............The sprueplate on the 6 cavity mould WILL flex when open as it compresses the wave washer. However when the sprueplate is closed (in the pouring position) it comes to a stop against, and rests under a captive sleeve that exerts downward tension on the sprueplate.

With the sprueplate closed can you see light between the blocks and the underside of the sprueplate? If possible use a metal ruler as a straightedge to check both the top of the blocks AND the sprueplate. Do ALL the boolits have finned bases or just the center 2-3?

...............Buckshot

[jr81452]

sounds like your bolt is loose. try heating up the mold to casting temp, and then turn the bolt in with 25 in lbs of torque. if you try to torque the bolt with a cold mold it will loosen when the mold gets hot again. if that doesn't solve the problem then try shimming the plate, or drill out a small recess in the blocks so you can turn the stop bolt in further. remember to put in a set screw so the plate doesn't loosen up when your casting.

+1 to checking the sprue plate alignment with the blocks. use a feeler gage. anything more than .002" that you can't correct by adjusting the bolt and i would send it back for a new one.

[Freightman]

They send a new one as I sent my 45 six banger back because it didn't have a front alighning post. Be patient as it takes three weeks or so, but I got a brand new one.

[Shotgun Luckey]

I had the same problem...when I ordered some other stuff from Lee I ordered a few extra of the wavey washers incase i lost one (don't ask WHY I thought I might lose one) I added and extra wave washer and worked great. Also I was having a bit of a problem with the mold filling the corners of the base well (right at the sprue plate) in the cavities closest to the handle. I backed the bolt out a hair that the sprue plate locks under to allow a bit of a vent path for the air to escape and that really helped. LOVE THOSE 6 BANGERS!

[IcerUSA]

I would send it back , sounds like they put the wrong bolt in the sprue plate . Lee uses 2 differant length bolts on the 6 bangers and I'm sure they could get mixed up at times on the assemble end .

Keith

[mooman76]

I have had that problem before. Sometimes you just get one that is tempermental for some reason. Some seem to be difficult to adjust the tightness. You tighten a little and then it tightens more on it's own until you can't even close it, or you loosen it a little and then it gets too loose. Then some like yours just don't seem to be able to keep tight. I'd just replace the washer or shim it like stated earlier.