1100...cascading problems

[midatlantic]

Hi all,

 

   I have a 1100 that I run with a Mk 7 drive.

 

   Yesterday I was loading 9mm. everything ran fine, except the primers were not always seating fully in the primer slide, and sometimes got caught on the edge of the shell plate, jamming the press. Figured I just needed to replace the blue tip on the primer magazine. 

 

   I did that this morning - that was the ONLY difference in the set up - and then loaded the machine with primers etc to continue loading 9mm.

 

   Then the following happened.

 

   First, the primer punch (item 4 on page 67 of manual) would not rise high enuf to seat the primer in the case. Yesterday that was not a problem.

 

   I removed the punch, spring, rocker arm and rocker bolt, and primer tappet and cleaned and lubricated everything. Still no good. I did it again.

 

   Reassembled, no difference.

 

   Punch would still not rise high enough to seat primer, and in fact barely rose above the bushing. I adjusted the primer push rod in the tool head...bit by bit, moving it eventuall by 1/4 inch at least! Now,  I've loaded about 15,000 9mm and .40 and have never previously had to adjust the push rod more than a couple of turns one way or the other. I also replaced the punch spring.

   Yet the punch still would not seat a primer. I ran the press and watched the rocker arm move up and down its full length of travel, yet the punch only rose about even with the base of the shell plate....and yes, the shell plate is fully seated.

 

    I called Dillon. I measured the punch - in spec. They wanted photos. And, believe this or not, my damned iPhone camera didnt work! Apple ran diagnostics online and said it a chip had apparently detached,,,,need repair!

 

     So until my phone gets fixed I went back down and for the third time took it all apart, and began to put it together and.....found that when I installed the the primer feed body assembly its base now rubbed on the primer slide....which now would not move! I back the screws out a half turn, and the slide slide, but the assembly wobbled. I removed the assembly and found the slider slid fine. There is no interference from the punch or the punch bushing. All are totally clean. The bottom of the feeder assembly tube has no damage.

  Reinstalled the primer feed body, part 7 on page 70, and tightened the screws down as I have done many times before, even removed the primer magazine just in case...and the primer slide again would not move, as it was jammed in place by the bottom of the feeder assembly.

 

   So with Dillon waiting for photos, which I cant send until next week, I need help.

 

   Whats going on???!!!???

 

 

 

   

 

     

[dansedgli]

Is your toolhead bolt tight? 

 

I had some high primers and wierd things happening and it had loosened. 

 

Are you sure the feeder mechanism that pushes the primer slide is in correctly? Its possible to tighten down the primer assembly and this lands on top of the primer slide and not in the gap it needs to be in.  

 

[ddc]

1 hour ago, dansedgli said:

 

Are you sure the feeder mechanism that pushes the primer slide is in correctly? Its possible to tighten down the primer assembly and this lands on top of the primer slide and not in the gap it needs to be in.  

 

 

It sounds like the lever arm that moves the slide may be too low.

That height is adjusted by moving the lever arm bracket up or down the feedbody assembly.

There is actually a fairly small sweet spot for that adjustment.

Too low and the lever arm hits the bottom of the channel and binds.

Too high and the slide won't retract enough to pick up the next primer.

 

As to the problem with the primers not seating...wish I could help. Very curious to find out what the cause and solution is.

 

Edited to add: I don't believe that loosening the screws on the feedbody assembly is a good idea even if it appears to help. 

If the mechanism appears to work better with them loose then something is not right. Loosening them to make things work is just masking the problem.

 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2021 by ddc

[midatlantic]

The lever arm was fine, and the tool head was bolted on and torqued.  

[midatlantic]

So after my rant yesterday this is what I found today. I pulled everything apart again and cleaned the primer slide, the base, and the bottom of the primer magazine tube once again, removed the primer punch bushing, 

re adjusted the punch. And then put it all together again and this time it worked. The only thing I can think of is that even though the primer punch bushing looked like it was flush it wasn’t flush enuf.  Or maybe my prior cleanings, with alcohol and cotton fabric, were insufficient.

 

As for the primer punch  it easing high enough I am at a loss to explain why it worked today and why it didn’t work yesterday. Clearly there’s some adjustment I did this morning that I missed yesterday, I can’t tell you what it was.

[Farmer]

Gremlins

[Sigarmsp226]

Glad to read this positive outcome.
 

Do not feel bad because I am betting something similar has happened to many Dillon machine owners. I know one that this has happened to twice in the 18+ years I have been loading on Dillon presses….In both situations I have NO idea what I messed up but after a re-tear down, cleaning, lubing, and reassembly I fixed what I messed up…

[ddc]

15 hours ago, Sigarmsp226 said:

Glad to read this positive outcome.
 

Do not feel bad because I am betting something similar has happened to many Dillon machine owners. I know one that this has happened to twice in the 18+ years I have been loading on Dillon presses….In both situations I have NO idea what I messed up but after a re-tear down, cleaning, lubing, and reassembly I fixed what I messed up…

 

Same here. My conclusion is that regular tear down, clean, lube, reassemble, is a good idea. I know. Rocket science for sure.