650 won't index

[Quag]

Loaded with a 550b for years got a 650 couple of weeks ago, no problems with 9mm loaded about 1000 rounds. switched to .223 no problems for about 700 rounds (great primer seating compared to the 550) however got a couple of failures to index which I did not notice until powder funnel dropped a second load and powder went all over the place. Fixed and cleaned out the excess powder worked fine for about 100 rds then went though the whole thing again this cycle several times to the point it would not index even though I thought I really cleaned out all the excess powder from beneath the shell plate.

Called Dillon this morning and the rep (after verifying the grey plastic triangular indexer that sits below the shell plate platform was not cracked) he told me to get some 3 in 1 oil and drip it down the channel on the right looking down on the shell plate platform where the top of indexer mechanism catch sticks up. He said this would flush out excess powder that got stuck between the plastic indexer, the shell plate platform and the piston. Did that and to my surprise it flushed out a sh^t load of powder that was not visible when I cleaned it before. It took many applications to out the powder, I even took off the indexing spring to get at groves and got more powder out. I got the indexer to work fine indexing forward but now it would not retract. The plastic indexer seems to sticking to either the piston or the bottom of shell plate platform or both.

Call Dillon again the second rep said while the 3 in 1 oil worked it to clear the powder it also dissolved the grease they put between the steel shell plate platform, the piston and grey plastic indexer. He said the grease is need for it to operate smoothly. He's sending me an alignment tool so I can take it all apart and grease it up. Meanwhile I'm down and getting no production on this winter weekend (and no shooting). He said I might be able to get some grease in spray bottle with a needle nose applicator to grease it up without taking it apart but not to use any more 3 in 1 oil.

Any thoughts or ideas has anyone run into this before. Does the Dillon reps advice seem sound?

thanks

[bradsteimel]

I basically had that same problem this weekend… Dillon had me use 30 weight motor oil in that same spot and it worked.

They also have some really good instruction videos on their site for how to clean and lube your press:

https://www.dillonprecision.com/#/productvideos.html

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Bamboo]

The alignment tool might be handy but it is not mandatory.

I've taken the platform off 550 and 650s and not needed the index tool, and I have a couple of them.. IMO it easier to just use my eyeball on the 650. There are some threads about this if you want to do some searching.

[Quag]

I'm the OP and thanks for the advice. I did some more research and basically it comes down to this. The auto indexing feature in the 650 needs to be kept relatively clean and lubed with grease not 3 in 1 oil or motor oil, I would not even use 30W oil. The 650 does not like spilled powder. I used to blow out spilled powder in my 550 and rarely clean it or grease it. Not so for the 650 keep it clean and greased. The grease I had on hand was the Enos Slide Glide Lite I use on my hand guns. Works like a charm. BTW I set up the press without the alignment tool and it works great. It was not big deal to align it by eye. But I was not switching primer sizes I only use small rifle and small pistol primer set up and I did not take off the primer punch that was attached to the shell plate platform. you probably have to use the alignment tool if you take off the punch to switch primer sizes.

Also I found out that once you take apart the self indexing mechanism and shell plate platform its really a pretty simple setup. It cleared up the mystery to how this functions.