550B Primer Issues... HELP needed!

[ChrisK]

OK, I'm new to this (Dillon 550b). I Picked up a 550B press awhile back with lots of accessories and just starting to use it. It works great, except I can't get the primers to drop into the cup. I'f I pull back on the bar (physically), it will dump out all the primers from the tube. I'm loading 9mm and am using the small primer filler tube (blue tip). I've swapped tips from one in my spare parts and no improvement. It is seated deep enough (goes down two clicks). The primer bar is cleaned (I've taken it apart and put it back together, and measured it against a large cup primer bar). I even have a spare primer bar that I've swapped out. The primer bar moves freely is clean and I've even add a small amount of graphite for good measure. The white pin is clean and the hole it goes into appears to be clean as well. I haven't had any luck playing around with primer adjustment pin (underneath the white plast dohicky). The bar apears to be aligned fine, and I've had this thing apart about a hundred times now. I've cleaned the shim/bearing underneath the primer bar. What am I missing? I really don't want to loose any more hair over this!

[KeithB]

OK, I'm new to this (Dillon 550b). I Picked up a 550B press awhile back with lots of accessories and just starting to use it. It works great, except I can't get the primers to drop into the cup. I'f I pull back on the bar (physically), it will dump out all the primers from the tube. I'm loading 9mm and am using the small primer filler tube (blue tip). I've swapped tips from one in my spare parts and no improvement. It is seated deep enough (goes down two clicks). The primer bar is cleaned (I've taken it apart and put it back together, and measured it against a large cup primer bar). I even have a spare primer bar that I've swapped out. The primer bar moves freely is clean and I've even add a small amount of graphite for good measure. The white pin is clean and the hole it goes into appears to be clean as well. I haven't had any luck playing around with primer adjustment pin (underneath the white plast dohicky). The bar apears to be aligned fine, and I've had this thing apart about a hundred times now. I've cleaned the shim/bearing underneath the primer bar. What am I missing? I really don't want to loose any more hair over this!

Is the tab on the blue plastic tip turned until it drops into the slot at the bottom of the primer safety tube?

[ChrisK]

Yes, the tab on the primer tube is aligned properly. When I turn it, it goes down two levels and is fully seated.

[Aristotle]

OK, I'm new to this (Dillon 550b). I Picked up a 550B press awhile back with lots of accessories and just starting to use it. It works great, except I can't get the primers to drop into the cup. I'f I pull back on the bar (physically), it will dump out all the primers from the tube. I'm loading 9mm and am using the small primer filler tube (blue tip). I've swapped tips from one in my spare parts and no improvement. It is seated deep enough (goes down two clicks). The primer bar is cleaned (I've taken it apart and put it back together, and measured it against a large cup primer bar). I even have a spare primer bar that I've swapped out. The primer bar moves freely is clean and I've even add a small amount of graphite for good measure. The white pin is clean and the hole it goes into appears to be clean as well. I haven't had any luck playing around with primer adjustment pin (underneath the white plast dohicky). The bar apears to be aligned fine, and I've had this thing apart about a hundred times now. I've cleaned the shim/bearing underneath the primer bar. What am I missing? I really don't want to loose any more hair over this!

That "spare" primer bar I believe is for "large" pistol primers, so double check that. Can you get us some pictures, I'm sure that one of us will be able to spot something. And your sure, by the way you mounted the press that you are getting full access for the press to make a complete press?

Take several pictures of the area around and it will greatly help us figure this out for you.

[ChuckS]

Call Dillon...

[Chris Keen]

.... it's FREE (1-800-223-4570)

[KeithB]

Call Dillon...

Yes their support is unsurpassed

[ChrisK]

Call Dillon...

Yes their support is unsurpassed

I called Dillon, no help. I'll try to take as many pics as possible and post.

Thanks!

[dillon]

Sent you an e-mail, may not have gotten to you yet.

The bracket clamped around the primer shield, #13887, needs to be low enough on the primer shield that it almost touches the frame of the machine-within .002"-.004" of contacting the blue paint. Next, check the roller bracket assembly, #14280-see if either attaching screw is loose. If loose, tighten them, as if this part moves, then the roller doesn't push the op-rod back far enough. The top bend in the op-rod, #13869, should freely spin in the above bracket. If sticky, then use steel wool or a scotchbrite pad to clean up, and grease the end that goes into the hole in the mounting bracket.

Do not adjust the set screw underneath the white pin if a primer drops into the cup when you pull the slide back. All this set screw does is align the primer cup underneath the plastic magazine tip. If the slide moves back further when you pull it back by hand, then it is not related to that setscrew. The back end of the white pin should be lightly greased, by the mushroom-headed end opposite of the primers. IF this pins sticks outward, then all remaining primers will run out the bottom of the magazine when the primer slide goes forward.

Did you doublecheck the height of the primer cup and punch in the primer slide? If the cup is sitting too tall, then instead of going underneath the primer it hits the primer, which would cause the op-rod to be unable to move the primer slide back far enough. Measuring from the underside opf the primer slide to the top of the cup should be 1.125"-1.220". IF too tall, use a clamp or vise to reseat, then retighten the setscrew before unclamping.

[ChrisK]

OK, lots of pics. Hopefully, it's something really simple that I'm just overlooking.

1. head on shot of press

2. Outside Primer Assembly, angle #1

3. Outside Primer Assembly, angle #2

4. Primer bars (2 small and 1 large). I have not tried to see if the large is working for me. That may be my next step

5. Inside Primer assembly angle 1

[ChrisK]

Here's some additional pics. Let me know if you are not seeing anything or need additional pics

6. Inside Primer assembly angle 2

7. Shim (it's clean, has graphite on it)

8. Primer bar in position

9. Screw touching bar

10. Spare blue tips

[ChrisK]

Last of the pics

11. Top of Primer filler tube, installed

12. Re-assembled

[KeithB]

pic 5 and 6, looks like your white plastic pin is broken off, it is spring loaded and stops the primers from dropping

added: how come that plastic primer feed stop pin #14051 is not in the spare parts kit? seems it should be.

Edited December 28, 2007 by KeithB

[ChrisK]

Sent you an e-mail, may not have gotten to you yet.

The bracket clamped around the primer shield, #13887, needs to be low enough on the primer shield that it almost touches the frame of the machine-within .002"-.004" of contacting the blue paint. Next, check the roller bracket assembly, #14280-see if either attaching screw is loose. If loose, tighten them, as if this part moves, then the roller doesn't push the op-rod back far enough. The top bend in the op-rod, #13869, should freely spin in the above bracket. If sticky, then use steel wool or a scotchbrite pad to clean up, and grease the end that goes into the hole in the mounting bracket.

Do not adjust the set screw underneath the white pin if a primer drops into the cup when you pull the slide back. All this set screw does is align the primer cup underneath the plastic magazine tip. If the slide moves back further when you pull it back by hand, then it is not related to that setscrew. The back end of the white pin should be lightly greased, by the mushroom-headed end opposite of the primers. IF this pins sticks outward, then all remaining primers will run out the bottom of the magazine when the primer slide goes forward.

Did you doublecheck the height of the primer cup and punch in the primer slide? If the cup is sitting too tall, then instead of going underneath the primer it hits the primer, which would cause the op-rod to be unable to move the primer slide back far enough. Measuring from the underside opf the primer slide to the top of the cup should be 1.125"-1.220". IF too tall, use a clamp or vise to reseat, then retighten the setscrew before unclamping.

Still no dice. The bracket around the primer shield is about a card thickness above the body. The roller bracket shell platform (14280) doesn't have any play. The screws seem tight with my hex wrench. The top end of the op-rod spins freely (up and down) side ways there is a bit of resistance. No grease on the end of the white pin, what should I use (grease, oil, graphite)? Primer punch height measures 1.205

I'm getting ready to pull my hair out on this, I just dumped my primers in, they all fell through (onto the primer bar), and I now have a primer stuck in my yellow tube. Ideas?

[KeithB]

pic 5 and 6, looks like your white plastic pin is broken off, it is spring loaded and stops the primers from dropping

added: how come that plastic primer feed stop pin #14051 is not in the spare parts kit? seems it should be.

is the white pin under the primer feed tube? if not it may be broken

[kamann]

pic 5 and 6, looks like your white plastic pin is broken off, it is spring loaded and stops the primers from dropping

added: how come that plastic primer feed stop pin #14051 is not in the spare parts kit? seems it should be.

Agreed. That white plastic pin at rest should be directly underneath the primer cup, to prevent the primers from falling out.

At the down stroke, it is spring loaded and gets pushed back to drop a primer into the primer cup.

[ChrisK]

Ok, more info..

Dillon, I still have not received your email, I've even checked my spam filters. Is it stuck in the outbox?

The bracket clamped around the primer shield is about a playing card width from the primer body.

Roller Bracket Assembly, appears tight and screws not budging with hex key

The top bend in the op-rod, #13869, spins freely, some resistance going from side to side.

I've monkeyed with the set screw (in frustration). I'm not getting primers in the cup, I usually get a dump of primers when I pull back on the slide. If I only have a couple of primers, I seem to get at least one in the cup. If I pull off the primer assembly and hand place the primer bar in it and pull back, it appears to line up.

The back end of the white pin should be lightly greased, I have some machine grease will that work? Graphite OK? Is the grease for ease of movement or?

Please see my photo below for primer cup height. I'm pretty sure it's fine.

Keith, great observation about the white pin. I actually have two spare parts kits and was amazed that Dillon does not include this piece that easily pop's out. I've attached a photo of the pin.

I just put primers in and they all dumped on the primer bar. In addition, I've manaed to get a primer stuck in my primer pickup tube (second one stuck in two days). I'd really love to get this thing going.... I still have one primer pickup tube left,

White Pin

Primer cup height

Stuck primers in tubes.... (the feeder tube is fine)

[ChrisK]

OK, I just swapped out my small primer stuff for large primer. Same issue. Nothing in primer cup, pull back on primer bar and I get a full dump of primers onto the top of the primer bar.

[KeithB]

Keith, great observation about the white pin. I actually have two spare parts kits and was amazed that Dillon does not include this piece that easily pop's out. I've attached a photo of the pin.

does the pin stick out and under the primer magazine (tube) under spring pressure?

let's a pic of the pin installed, it needs to be right under the tube unless the primer cup pushes it back to get a primer

[ChrisK]

Keith, great observation about the white pin. I actually have two spare parts kits and was amazed that Dillon does not include this piece that easily pop's out. I've attached a photo of the pin.

does the pin stick out and under the primer magazine (tube) under spring pressure?

let's a pic of the pin installed, it needs to be right under the tube unless the primer cup pushes it back to get a primer

I guess I'm a bit confused here. The pin just sits in the hole, with no "spring pressure" correct? I'm not seeing any spring on the schematic. The white pin is in (black plate vertical) at the bottom of the stroke as well as at the top of the stroke. I do see it "bump" slightly, midway through the stroke.

I'm not sure if this helps at all: (top and bottom of strokes)

[KeithB]

the black plate is the spring, it looks right. when the primer bar comes back the black spring plate should push out.

Doesn't look like the spring plate is pushing out as as the bar comes back

Do you have the manual? if not you can DL it at Dillon, it has exploded diagrams of all this stuff

http://www.dillonprecision.com/docs/dillon...al_may_2007.pdf

Edited December 28, 2007 by KeithB

[ChrisK]

the black plate is the spring, it looks right. when the primer bar comes back the black spring plate should push out.

Do you have the manual? if not you can DL it at Dillon, it has exploded diagrams of all this stuff

http://www.dillonprecision.com/docs/dillon...al_may_2007.pdf

I have the manual and the video. I watched the video a couple of times, but haven't really put much time into the manual yet. Do you think the white pin is the problem?

[KeithB]

the black plate is the spring, it looks right. when the primer bar comes back the black spring plate should push out.

Do you have the manual? if not you can DL it at Dillon, it has exploded diagrams of all this stuff

http://www.dillonprecision.com/docs/dillon...al_may_2007.pdf

I have the manual and the video. I watched the video a couple of times, but haven't really put much time into the manual yet. Do you think the white pin is the problem?

That black plate should push out about 1/4 of a inch when the primer bar comes all the way back. So the white pin could be to short or broken

[scribble]

Chris your white pin is too short I measured mine and it reads 22.55mm

here are some pics to help with seeing the problem.

PM if you have any questions still.

Edited December 28, 2007 by cooter79

[scribble]

I am not sure why you are having primers sticking in the tube though but may be caused by the pin as well. I would run a pipe cleaner with some cleaner through it just in case.