When Is It Time To Dismantle The Dillon?

[Tondog]

After many tens of thousands of rounds loaded on my 550B, I now notice that the main piston is getting more and more difficult to move with just regular reloading. I've tried about every type of lube on the piston after cleaning the exposed areas but it doesn't seem to be getting any better. The piston area around the primer slide and first stage is even getting "scored" by what I believe to be old burnt powder residue and probably even a little media dust too.

Question is, should I disassemble the whole unit to clean inside the piston housing, and if so, how?

[ChuckS]

It sounds like it is time to full-up clean it. You may want to consider contacting Dillon. They do offer a rebuild service where they will replace what need replacing and clean the rest. If you want to do it your self, they have an alignment tool that you will want to use to get it back together. In any case, start with a call to Dillon.

Later,

Chuck

[1911user]

It sounds like the top of the link arms (aluminum) may have galled to the pins (steel) that hold them. I had it happen to my 550 and it felt like you described with stiff ram movement. Call dillon, they'll talk you through checking the problem and how to repair it.

Edited February 18, 2007 by 1911user

[scooterj]

It sounds like the top of the link arms (aluminum) may have galled to the pins (steel) that hold them. I had it happen to my 550 and it felt like you described with stiff ram movement. Call dillon, they'll talk you through checking the problem and how to repair it.

+1

[dillon]

To figure out where lube is lacking, remove the set screw from the bottom of the shaft and press out the short cross pin that connects the crank to the bottom of the shaft. Now, you can push up on the bottom of the shaft to see it it is binding, you can pivot the crank on the lower pivot pin, and you can grab the crank and pivot the link arms on the upper pins. Use grease on the pivot pins and indexing ring, use 30 wt motor oil on the shaft. There is a 550 lubrication aid on the forum.

[Tondog]

Well NOW was the time to dismantle the old girl and lube up again! The galling on the left linkage arm was beyond what should have been and on the next dismantling I'll just buy another because the pitting in the pivot points was really bad. I had no idea this would happen until I read these forums. Thanks all!

Runs like a "well oiled" machine for sure now!!!

[Rico567]

Well NOW was the time to dismantle the old girl and lube up again! The galling on the left linkage arm was beyond what should have been and on the next dismantling I'll just buy another because the pitting in the pivot points was really bad. I had no idea this would happen until I read these forums. Thanks all!

Runs like a "well oiled" machine for sure now!!!

I took my 650 apart for the first time about a year ago (had it about 4 years), and found a similar situation, but to a lesser degree. The pivot at the bottom of the ram was in good shape, but I cleaned & repacked it.. The lower link arm pivots were fine, and I did the same. The grease in the upper link arm pivots had turned a funky brown color, and the steel of the pin was no longer a bright shiny silver color, but had discolored somewhat. However, I found no pitting or roughness, so I cleaned and repacked those pivots as well, and the 650 continues to run smooth as glass. The other lube points are pretty easy to deal with, and I just wipe the ram with Mobil 1 0W-40 every time I start a session, and it works fine.

I used the grease that comes in the big hypodermic gadget that Dillon supplies when you buy the accessory kit. If it's intended to be a grease gun, it's just another one of those (admittedly minor) areas where Dillon has produced an inferior product, like their useless "bench wrench," the giant and equally useless metal primer tray, and their overly complex and overpriced primer tube filler.

I'm sure other greases will work, but I think it would be wise to make sure it's not a grease that will promote any reaction between those aluminum parts and the steel pivots. The Dillon grease doesn't seem to really prevent this, so a regular teardown, cleaning, and repacking of the pivots seems warranted. Exactly how long "regular" is, I suspect, depends on how much the press is used, rather than a given time interval. Since I got my first warning to relube my 650 on this forum, it would be nice to hear if anyone has found a grease that addresses this issue, or has come up with a suitable interval for a "lube job."

I have seen what appears to be shock & surprise in a few threads on other forums when some guy who's complaining about Lee presses being aluminum is told to go put a refrigerator magnet on the blue parts on their Dillon, and see if it sticks. "Not that there's anything wrong with that." Aluminum is an excellent material for many applications, it's just interesting to see an "alumaphobe" caught unawares.....

[nhglyn]

So, is there a regular interval that you should tear the 650 down and clean/lube everything? Every 10,000? 20,000? 30,000? Or only when something begins to go wrong?

Are there printed instructions anywhere that will help take apart and put back together to this level?