550B primer bar jamming

[LearningIsOccurring]

Hi gang. Pics below. The primer bar started jamming today, less than 4k through the machine. We narrowed down the problem and thought we fixed it. Started acting up 300 rounds later. When the primer bar travels full travel and the primer pickup goes into the tube the round primer holder is rubbing on the primer tower (or whatever that thingy is called) and jamming. I know this is where it's rubbing. Took it apart and narrowed down to this. Earlier today I cleaned everything up and quickly hit the rub spots with 600 grit sandpaper. Was perfectly normal for a couple hundred rounds and then jammed up again.

In the pics you can see the brass color worn off where it's contact the inside of that aluminum. Might be tough to tell but it rubs only on one side (bottom in the orientation of the photo) and it looks like the round brass colored piece is canted slightly.

Now, I can sand things again but I don't wanna take off material if there's something else to fix this but I'm out of ideas. Thanks everyone!

[Flatland Shooter]

In the third picture it appears to be angled a bit. Would it be possible to rotate the pin 180 degrees and see what happens? It kinda looks like the slide bar is also canted a bit.

By the way, good job with the photos.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Flatland Shooter

[LearningIsOccurring]

Stupid question. What pin? I see what appears to be a set screw in the side of the primer bar and it looks like it sits on a spring but I didn't dissemble that far. Bed time. I'll look in the morning. Pretty sure I twisted on it when I was trouble shooting but no luck.

[Flatland Shooter]

To make sure we are on the same page, take a look at page 5 of the Dillon manual.

http://www.dillonprecision.com/docs/dillon_rl_550b_manual_may_2007.pdf

First look at the primer slide to assure it is sitting flat on the primer track bearing and the bearing plate is flat on the frame, Some debris or something may be under the slide or the bearing plate causing the primer slide assembly to cant to one side. Debris between the bearing plate and the primer slide could also contribute to the slide sticking.

From your last picture it appears the primer slide assembly is canted slightly and that may cause the primer seating cup to rub against the primer housing. Notice the primer seating cup does not align perfectly with the primer tube tip.

The primer punch is held in place with the set screw but its not screwed into the slide so tight that the primer punch cannot rotate. Its designed to be able to wobble a little bit.

If you cannot rotate the primer punch, then the set screw may have been tightened too far causing the primer punch to cant to one side. Back it off a bit and see if things begin to line up. You mentioned that you may have twisted the set screw while trouble shooting so backing off the set screw a bit might be the first thing you try.

If you can rotate the punch 180 degrees, the set screw is properly set. Then I would look at the primer punch being bent. I've never had one bend so I do not know if it can be straightened or will need to be replaced.

As for sanding any parts to get clearance, it should not be necessary for the primer assembly to work properly.

Hope this helps.

Bill

Edited January 29, 2014 by Flatland Shooter

[LearningIsOccurring]

Thanks Bill.

I can rotate punch 360 degrees, no problem there. The slide is cleaned and all the surface free of debris. I actually have the primer assembly on my desk in front of me right now and it is the primer cup that rubbing. I tried rotating it through four positions, each 90 degrees off. It rubs in the same spot is all the positions, only one position is a little freeer, but not perfect. The cant/bend is in the same direction in all positions too, that is, always rubs in the same spot. It doesn't lean the opposite way when I rotate it 180 degrees. Very weird.

I think next I'm going to disassemble the primer cup from the primers bar, make sure everything is clean and then reassemble. Report back when that's done.

[Sarge]

When my 550 did the same thing Dillon sent me a new bar. They speculated it may be bent or twisted. Sure enough it improved things quite a bit. Selling the 550 and buying a 650 cured it for good.

[Youngeyes]

Run the primer bar by hand and see if there is any binding. Loosen the bolts a small amount and try again. If you have a spare parts kit, change out the primer cup and post. Also try your small primer set up and see if you have the same problem. It might help narrow down your options.

[LearningIsOccurring]

Fixed it. Thanks gang.

I have the spare parts kit and a whole second primer bar set up for large primers.

Long story short - I started swapping pieces one at a time on the bar to find out why it was sitting crooked. I ended up just installing the punch into the primer bar with no spring or primer cup. As soon as the set screw hit it the punch would cant in the same direction as the pics above. I tried two small punches and two large - same result with every one!

Grabbed my unused spare primer bar set up for large primers and at first glance it's perfectly square and straight. I installed all my old parts in the new bar and boom, straight. New parts in the old bar, bent.

The primer bar fell out of spec. Appears the hole the punch goes in opened up slightly (don't know how) and there's enough room for the punch to move and cant in there.

Thanks for the help gang, believe it or not it did move me along to fixing this quick. I'll call Dillon later today when they're open and see if I can swap out this bar with them.

Less than 4k through it too. Oh well. Thank Enos for spare parts!

update - just spoke with Lee at Dillon, sending me a new bar. Good service.

Edited January 29, 2014 by LearningIsOccurring

[benos]

Lee, and Gary (dillon), are the MEN!