Primer problems on new 550b

[GPZ4189]

I don't know how long they've had the new type of primer slides. I just brought one into them to be smoothed and they replaced it on the spot. I would assume it has the same part number as the old one. You could always call the Dillon 800 number and talk to someone in person.

Good luck. The new slide has made a big difference on my 550 for me. I can load a lot more rounds per hour not having to take apart the primer assembly and clean it so often.

I could post a picture of the new slide, just not sure how to attach it. If someone could advise, I would be happy to post a picture.

[Derek45]

I polished mine with 600 grit, and a very small amount of FP-10 applied with a Q-tip.

It runs for about 6months, then I clean it and it goes fine again.

Maybe I'll try the graphite.

[syme71]

Anyone bought a 550B very recently (as in Christmas present maybe) that knows if these new slides are in the new presses?

yes, I just bought one over the Holidays. It has the older type slide with the chevrons milled in the bottom. I've had a bunch of problems with the slide. Now that I've been using some Liquid Wrench w/PTFE, no more issues.

[kimel]

FWIW...the SDB primer assy has similar issues. I polished mine to 1200 grit (can you say "mirror"?) and then I put one drop of RemOil on it and rub it in. Then wipe it off as much as possible with a shop towel. That will run for about 2K rounds then I have to wipe everything down again and re-oil and away we go.

My 550B is on its way so I guess I will check the primer assy and if it is the old type I will polish it as I assemble things.

The teflon coating probably is a huge move forward. Aluminium rubbing together will gall...no two ways about it. Be interesting to see how those hold up over time.

I am of the theory that the VERY light coating of oil help prevent oxidation and thus galling.

Yes, I know...oil near a primer assy is asking for trouble. FWIW...just before I put the primer slide back in I degrease the primer cup just in case.

[EricW]

The teflon coating just staves off the inevitable. Sooner or later, it disappears as well. Wish I could find teflon spray paint so I could recoat mine periodically.

[kimel]

Of course if one were to just build the damn thing out of Delrin or other suitable material then the entire problem would be eliminated from the get go.

[SRT Driver]

Steeleye,

Did you happen to notice what the primer stop pin (that little white plastic thing that keeps the primers from spilling on the floor) was doing? Was it pushing out the spring with the allen screw?

My Primer stop pin had a burr on it that caused it to hang up which stopped the primer cup from moving. Then it would unhang and the primer bar would shoot forward. A new primer stop pin cured the problem.

You also might have the knurled nut on the top of the primer tube too tight. This forces the primer tube into the primer stop pin and causes it to hang up.

Just a thought if it's not the primer bar as the others have suggested.

[echo154]

I use Hoppes dry teflon powder lube on mine...works wonders on alot of things..plus no graphite mess! You can find it at Brownells.

[scooterj]

I give the bearing plate a quick shot of Hornady One Shot case lube every couple hundred rounds.

[fastshuter]

I had a similar problem with my 550B(New but had been sitting for awhile before I was able to get it mounted) and Dillon sent me a new primer slide. The newer one is hollowed out underneath, the one that came with the press was solid with those serrations, chevrons, underneath. Anyway the one Dillon sent me works without any problems. Have to hand it to Dillon they always come through as I have a SDB as well

[Mr17]

Good evening to everyone,

I'm a new member of this forum.

I'm an italian shooter and, first of all, I would apologize for all the mistakes I'll do writing in english; I'm not sure about my english level.

I have your same problems with dillon 550b primers system: my primer bar doesn't work, it hangs up.

I'm forced to manually move the bar back.

I cleaned, polished and lubed it as you suggested but without results.

I made some tests and I noticed that without the spring it works well but, of course, the bar doesn't goes in.

Is the spring the problem?

I would weaken the spring but I'm afraid of breaking it.

I hope the mail message is clear.

Could you help me to solve this problem?

Thank you in advance.

Massimo.

[BEshooter]

My 550b is several years old and has primer slides hollowed out underneath. Only primer problem I've had is a buildup of Bullseye powder crud on rare occasions that sweeps right out.

Two things did bind up though. The primer actuator rod where it pivots in the block on the stand tube galled and froze up. I reamed it with a right size drill and lubed it up. Also the main linkage pivots below dried out. The little holes for lube plugged and again the pivots there galled and jammed up. I took the lower linkage and ram all apart, cleaned it thoroughly, polished off some galling and put it all back together with FP10 oil in it for now on. Dillon provided a line up tool for the plate on top of the ram that worked real slick.

[cdfcapt]

I had to polish mine, used my Dremmel tool and some red polishing compound, about 10 min and it looked like glass, one shot of One Shot and it worked great. I like the idea of graphite better will try it next cleaning. Would like to hear more about the "new" part if anyone has one up and running. The priming system is just about the only thing that slows me down on my 550b

[rtr]

I just called dillon about my 550 not feeding primers well. The suggested that I monkey around with the operating rod for the primer slide. When I mentioned the new design primer slide he said there isn't a "new" one. Mine was purchased new in Aug '04 and is solid with the diagonal cuts in it.

So what gives is there a new one or not? Who do I talk to to get a new one?

[Bronson7]

Of course if one were to just build the damn thing out of Delrin or other suitable material then the entire problem would be eliminated from the get go.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Delrin is some cool stuff but in this case I don't know if it would work. From what I can see, the primer bar is the down stop for the ram and I don't think plastic would hold up to the task.

Bronson7

[oct_97]

I just got off the phone with Dillon about a sticking primer bar. I too asked about a new one and was told there is no new one, stone the old one

[Overkill]

I've had on and off problems with my primer bar for years. I've had bot the hollow base bars and the diagonal cut bars. I finally really looked closley at the bar and realized the probmem was that the slot the bar traveled in was too tall and the bar was wedgeing diagonally in the slot.

I ended up putting a shim under the plate that sits between the frame and the primer slide. I ended up using the plate to cut a shim from the side of a soda can. Now the primer slide channel fits the bar closley enough that it cant push diagonally and wedge.

[rtr]

So sounds like the plate needs to be thicker?

[scooterj]

I wore a grove in a bearing plate and Dillon sent me a new one. I'm sure they'll do the same for you.

[TonyT]

Experienced the same problem. Bent the priming arm and Dillin sent me a complete new priming bar. It was a newer type with a closed bottom whereas the old one had an open bottom. Had many problems with primer feeding after several calls to dillon mentioned the primer bar with the closed bottom. They immedioately said they had experienced the same problem and sent me a replacement which was like my original, open bottom. No problems since then.

Tony

[rtr]

I used the pop can mod as listed above, didn't change anything. Called Dillon, without asking they said they'd send the new style primer bar, which I asked for before and was told didn't exist.

[rtr]

Got my new primer bars today (small and large) from Dillon, pictures attached. Notice different finish (silver not black) and cutout area underneath (presumably to make them lighter and or less surface area contact), also has lines cut on the end to make it easier to pull back I presume.

[rtr]

Can't get the second pic to load, anyways you get the idea.

Edit: loaded 100 rounds with the new bar tonight, worked flawlessly, unlike the previous bar that worked at best maybe 75%.

[aclundwall]

I have owned two 550s. The first one, about 10 years ago. The primer slide on THAT one was like the ones being referred to as 'new' in this thread.

My current one is about a year and a half old. It has the slide with the chevrons on the bottom. I'm sure it is cheaper to build. I have a feeling that the 'new' ones people are being given now are actually OLD ones from before the switch, but that's just my guess.

Anyway, I have tried two things to solve this problem with my press. One method worked for a while, and the second fixed the problem permanently.

The first thing I did was to sandblast, and then gun-kote, the primer slide and the primer track bearing. The harder, more slippery surface of the new finish resisted the hanging up, and worked fine for about 20K rounds, before the finish started to wear off.

Then, I built a guide with a small roller bearing to keep the bar straight as it moves backward. That fixed it once and for all. Here is a link to a thread I started on our local forum, with pics and details.

http://www.lanimal.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1441

I don't know that it'll work for everyone, but it sure fixed my press. If anyone wants details, just let me know.

Art Lundwall

[Mikeg35]

I bought a new 550 about 6 months ago and have had a lot of primer feeding problems with it. Dillon suggested polishing the primer bar, and also bending the actuating rod to make it a little more "positive." These steps didn't help.

They also cautioned against lubing the primer bar, but I put a little One Shot on it, which helped, but I still would get about 1 or 2 rounds out of 100 with no primer.

The primer bar motion was jerky; it would hang up near the end of its travel. I watched it carefully through dozens of cycles, and it became apparent the the primer cup was hanging up as it entered the cutout in the aluminum housing that contains the primer feed tube. It didn't always go all the way back into the housing at full stroke, so didn't pick up a primer.

By trial and error I found out a couple things:

1. The primer cup, which is spring loaded and retained by an allen set screw, doesn't always end up perfectly vertical when it's removed and reinstalled. I had thought that the primary mechanism for retaining the cup was the "nail head" on the bottom of the pin that goes into the hole in the primer slide. Dillon says that is incorrect, and the pressure of the tightened set screw is what hold the cup in the correct position, and the cup should be seated as deep as possible in the bar.

2. Even when the the primer cup is seated perfectly, it still contacted the side of the cutout in the aluminum housing. This was the primary problem affecting my press.

Here's how I cured it:

1. Made sure that the primer cup was seated all the way down in the primer bar. Loosened the set screw, turned the primer bar upside down on a wood bench, pushed down hard on the bar to fully compress the spring under the primer cup, and tighted the set screw. Dillon says you could even do this is a vise, but I think that's overkill.

2. Using a Dremel tool, relieved the cutout in the aluminim housing at the bottom of the primer feed tube, so that the primer cup no longer contacts it as it enters the housing. I removed a small amount of material on both sides of the opening, as far back into it as I could, checked the action of the bar, and repeated the process until the primer bar moved freely all the way back into the housing.