Steelheader Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 (edited) I just purchased a used (never been used 550B). It sat around in a friends garage for years and was never used. It's so old that it has the black bearing for the auto powder system (not the tall white one that goes on the rod). I have cleaned it up, however when I lubed the ram with Mobil 1 10/30 synthetic, it is getting harder and harder to throw the lever when I reload. The ram feels really tight. I have cleaned the ram several times with a cloth. I have cleaned with the ram up and down as best as I could. But it has not done any good whatsoever. Should I clean the ram with denatured alcohol and re-lube? I can see the oil that is stripping from the ram, onto the frame is getting black. Could it be that all the years this has sat in the corner that it needs to be disassembled, cleaned and lubricated? Thanks in advance. Edited October 15, 2018 by Steelheader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwbsig Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 (edited) I would disassemble the ram and pivot pins and polish it with still wool and light oil to remove all the rust. It will works fine once all the rust is removed. Good luck Edited October 16, 2018 by Dwbsig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stick Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 I would send it to Dillon for a tune up/over haul. Since it was sitting for long time, they will clean it and update any outdated parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelheader Posted October 16, 2018 Author Share Posted October 16, 2018 Thanks for the replies. I would like to send it to them, but I couldn't imagine what the shipping would be. This morning I did get some straight 30W motor oil and some needle fittings for my grease gun. I injected the needle holes on the frame with some new grease and cleaned off the ram with a cloth. I spread some 30W oil on the ram and after a good 10-20 strokes it loosened up and is running smoother. It seems each stroke it get better and better. My world is getting better by each round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikieM Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 There you go. If you sat around doing nothing for that long you'd be stiff, too. Keep oiling and working the ram and it'll be pumping out good ammo in no time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakobi Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Lighter oil maybe? I have always used Remoil and give the ram a quick spray before I start loading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelheader Posted October 16, 2018 Author Share Posted October 16, 2018 2 hours ago, Jakobi said: Lighter oil maybe? I have always used Remoil and give the ram a quick spray before I start loading. Yea, I think so. I have read a ton of responses on Google stating to use Mobil 1 30W Synthetic. I had a 1/2 quart of Mobil 1 10/30 and it seemed a bit thick. I went and bought a straight 30 motor oil and it's consistency was much lighter than the Mobil 1. I cleaned off the ram really well and re-lubed with the 30 and immediately could tell the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelheader Posted October 16, 2018 Author Share Posted October 16, 2018 2 hours ago, MikieM said: There you go. If you sat around doing nothing for that long you'd be stiff, too. Keep oiling and working the ram and it'll be pumping out good ammo in no time. Agree with that! I keep cleaning off the ram after each 100 round batch. Then I re-lube it up and it is getting easier and easier to press out more rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 On 10/15/2018 at 7:14 PM, Steelheader said: The ram feels really tight. If it feels really tight while you're resizing cartridge cases, try lubing the cases first - make it seem a little smoother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelheader Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 15 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said: If it feels really tight while you're resizing cartridge cases, try lubing the cases first - make it seem a little smoother. HPJ, it's not the loading process that was causing the stiffness in the ram. It was the 10w/30 Mobil 1 I was using. I got her all cleaned up and used straight 30 weight and it's working like a charm. BTW, I have just recently started lubing my pistol cases and you are correct. It does make the reloading process smoother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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