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Has anyone ever "rebuilt" a lubrisizer?
I picked up a pretty old Lyman at a lgs years ago. I think it's a 450. It's green and looks a lot like a 4500. Think I paid like $10 for the sizer with a handful of dies and top punches.
I rarely use the thing because it is such a pita to use. Lube goes everywhere. I got the manual from Lyman, so I could set it right, but didn't help much. I thought maybe a good cleaning somehow, then replace all the seals and gaskets would help??
Any Ideas?
Thanks
First take the sizer apart and use a level to check the straightness of the bottom. It could be warped, if not take a hair dryer and heat the sizer to remove all old lube. Go to Lowes or local hardware store and get the appropriate O rings and replace. I mounted my Lyman on a heater base and then onto a level wood top on my reloading table. I drilled clear thru and used appropriate carriage bolts to snug it down. The Lyman is a good, although slow way to size bullets.
Sam
When adjusted the Lyman will fill all the lube grooves with lube and the dies are made so the bullets come out with a mirror finish.
Once you have mastered operating it, the lubed bullets will be just about perfect.
Personally I would disassemble it and boil the body in hot water to remove all of the old lube.
After it is clean and dry, check that the base is square and flat. If all looks good, obtain new O-rings and re-assemble with clean and well lubed parts. You can repaint them before you re-assemble if you wish.
Some people have re-bored the body and sleeved them to get them perfectly straight/round but frankly I don't think they are worth that effort. If I had one that was that worn or misaligned, I would strip the useful parts and toss the body. There are too many of them on the planet to spend that type of effort, IMO.
JonB from Glencoe has a thread on it. He is a good resource of these.
If it's green it's an RCBS in which case you can get parts from RCBS for a phone call. If it's in really bad shape they may replace it for free.
If it's green and lube goes everywhere I'm going to say it's a RCBS LAM1, not Lyman. The LAM1s are notorious for leaking around the base plug. They're easy to identify ;)
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a...CA6D27CC82.jpg
Personally if it's a Lyman I would toss it and move on. I've rebuilt all three of the LAM1s that I own. They're worth saving as the parts are usually free. And they're a more robust design. The dies and top punches you have will interchange so they're good to go.
Doesnt look at all like the lam1. Looks just like the 4500 on midways site.
If you purchased this item at a local gun shop years ago, used, it was not the 4500 as they were not produced that long ago. It might be the 450. The question now is does it have the rods that move the bullet push out pin to eject the bullet from the sizer, or is it a bent strap metal affair? The next question is the color of the paint. If it is green, it is not an original Lyman color. What is embossed on the side of the casting of the item?
"Lube goes everywhere."
The Lymans are easy to disassemble and clean and to replace the O-rings. It sounds like a repainted 450 or 4500 (they are very similar). There should be several threads you can find by using Google custom search by typing in "lyman 450".
There is a learning curve to using them. A fine dance of heat and pressure. Too much heat or too much pressure is likely the source of your excessive leaking, as opposed to worn O-rings.
I bought a Lyman 450 in 1972 , have been using it since and never broke or replaced any parts.
I got to thinking , one day parts will no longer be available. If you go to Lymans web site , they have user instruction sheets , parts diagrams and replacement parts and upgrade kits.
I bought every part and upgrade kit while they are still available. Nothing has broken so I haven't done a restoration on it. But the parts sheets and parts were there as of 4 months ago.
They are tricky to use with heat . I only use soft lube that does not require any heat....makes it soooo much easier.
Gary
Both 450's I have have "450" embossed in the web reinforcement behind the lube chamber.......
In answer to your first question: Yes, I have rebuilt Lyman 45, 450 and RCBS lubsizers.
Your problem is not clear to me. You said "lube goes everywhere" my question is where and how many places is the lube coming from?
Pictures would help.
Ok, just went down and looked one side of the web has lyman, the other 450.
The lube goes above and below the bullet, as well as the lube grooves.
The bullet is pushed back up from the reservoir by a rod.
The rod is pushed by a loop of heavy metal.
You need to adjust the rod (actually the sleeve that limits the rod's travel) so that the bullet is only pushed into the die far enough to apply lube the grooves. Lube under the bullet is usually too much pressure, too much heat or both. Plain based bullets are easier to deal with than bevel based bullets.
Not sure what lube your using, I "warm" my 450 with a hair dryer all around, just enough to crank the ratchet with a little effort. Give the unit time to transfer warmth to the lube. To much heat and lube gets running.
Lots of good info to read up on.
Mike
There is either a photo essay or a video of someone who rebuilt either a press or a lubrisizer.
It was milled out, a bushing put in. the ram was turned and squared with the press and the die threads.
Shiloh
That was theperfessor, sadly the photo essay he originally linked to is gone (this is the thread).Quote:
Originally Posted by Shiloh
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Sizer-Rebuild
But it's in the waybackmachine
http://web.archive.org/web/201205250...berRebuild.htm
You'd need some equipment and skills to do what he did.
It sounds like your only issue is an adjustment issue. At the bottom of the press is a threaded hollow tube with a lock nut, the pin that lifts the base of the bullet slides up and down inside that tube. Adjust that tube up until you only get lube in the grooves then set the lock nut and you should be good to go. I have a couple of these 450's and they work fine for me. The easiest part to damage is the threads where the nut/cap screws into the press to lock the die into place. If you have the original wrench it works great and is less likely to damage the threads in the press body. If you don't have one PM me and I will send you my extra one as I just scrapped one for parts that my dad bought at a pawn shop, the threads were too buggered to save it.
Sounds like you need to download the Instructions from Lyman.
I have three 450's and rarely have a problem. Too much pressure and working the lever to slow is the common problem.
I bought all of them used and I have never broken a part.
yeah sounds like an adjustment issue, if you go on lymans website they have a pdf file that is the instructions for the machine, I downloaded it to my laptop as I bought mine used, its short and sweet but covers everything that needs adjusting. lube on top means you need to screw the nut (under the die that pushes the center of the die up) up so the bullet goes in the die less, lube on the bottom is usually too much pressure, too soft a lube, or your not keeping pressure on the ram, throughout the stroke you always have to keep pressure on the ram, from top to bottom and back up should be a fairly smooth movement, if you wish to pause at the bottom that's fine. Just be certain you maintain pressure on the handle. also don't forget when you're done, turn the reservoir or pressure screw out, or you may come back to the lubesizer and find your die filled with grease, I commonly forget to let pressure off when I'm done using the machine. So I waste a lot of lube. Goodluck and theyre a extremely useful tool to have for a caster.