old saeco bottom pour question

[wrench]

I have an old Saeco bottom 10# bottom pour furnace I picked up at a garage sale.
It looks just like the one in this thread:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=73257&highlight=bottom+pour
When I bought it, the guy had taken the bottom pour parts out, put a machine screw in the bottom, and was using it as a ladle pot.
I'd like to put it back to a bottom pour, I got the screw out, I have all the parts.
Here's the question-the rod just doesn't want to fit down in the orifice in the bottom of the pot. It seems to me that the area where the rod tapers from about 1/8" to about 3/8" is where the rod should seat, but it won't go in that far.
Can anyone who has one of these take a look and tell me how the rod fits in the pot?
Thanks in advance

[montana_charlie]

It seems to me that the area where the rod tapers from about 1/8" to about 3/8" is where the rod should seat, but it won't go in that far.
Can anyone who has one of these take a look and tell me how the rod fits in the pot?
Thanks in advance
That tapered 'bottleneck' is the seat which seals the spout when the rod goes down.
Have you tried inserting the rod after the pot (spout) gets hot?

Push the rod in as far as it will go (even give it a gentle tap to wedge it in). Put a small amount of lead in the pot and bring it up to melting temperature...with a catch basin under the spout.

When molten lead starts to flow out through the spout, push and twist on the rod to seat it down in the hole, and leave it with the slot on top aligned so you can put the handle in it.

Let the pot cool, or continue assembly with it up to temperature...you pick.

Just be sure your catch basin is big enough to hold all of the lead you put in the pot...just in case you can't get the rod to seal.

CM

[wrench]

thanks Charlie, yes, I've tried it hot and cold, with lead and without, the narrow part of that rod just will not go through the hole.
I'm not giving up, now that I know how it should go...I'll take another whack at it tomorrow.

[skeet1]

I bought one of those pots new about 35 years ago and cast many a bullet with it however I never had very good luck pouring from the bottom. I used a dipper most of the time. I have taken the valve out and cleaned it and as I remember the rod was just cut square at the bottom of a narrowed portion. It should be easy to make a replacement if needed. I recently sold the pot and bought a Lee 4-20 and have had good luck pouring from the bottom with nicely filled out bullets. Hope you have better luck with your Saeco than I did. I think mine was just a lemon that I put up with for far to many years.

Skeet1

[Echo]

I'm guessing the screw in the port screwed up the port, upsetting material into the hole so that the rod won't make it all the way . Can probably be cured with a drill - check the diameter of the pilot section of the rod - IIRC, it should be 1/8", but that may be wrong.