Dillon 550 Potential Issue

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J

johnandersonoutdoors

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Hey guys,

I have been loading on my Dillon 550b for about 1 year. With it I have produced about 5,000 rounds, 3,000 in just the last couple of weeks. Tonight I cranked out another 200 and during the session I noticed a little more friction that seems to coming from the ram itself. This was also accompanied by a brief moment of a slight burning smell (sort of a rubber smell).

Is the ram too dry? I know they added the nipple on the linkage for greasing which I have never messed with. Thinking about calling Dillon but I know it is just as easy to reach out to those with experience here.

What do you think/suggest?

Thank you.
 
I keep my presses lubed enough that they almost drip.

If you pull the handle back, raising the ram just far enough for the rod to contact the primer slide, if you release the pressure the ram should lower itself.

If it is binding, it will "stick there", hopefully you haven't galled the shaft and frame but add oil and see if it gets better.
 
Thanks for the response jmorris.

Yeah it will lower on its own pressure/weight. As I mentioned, it was only an slight difference in the smoothness.....from very smooth to a little less.

What do you suggest? I have Rem oil, another similar product, and white lithium grease. I use an ever so slight amount of lithium grease on my Redding single stage from time to time. I just apply a dab on the ram and wipe around 360 degree.
 
Lube, lube, lube! Sounds like your ram is dry.

What I do is put on a cheap rubber glove & squirt some white lithium grease in my hand & swab the ram - both above & below the frame.
 
When I pull the handle to where the rod just begins to push the primer slide, it does not fall now as it once easily did. What surprises me most is that this has occurred fairly suddenly it seems. Maybe it is just me and it was slowly getting "less smooth".

I clean the ram as best I can and have applied some 3 in 1 oil. I know the manual says 30W oil so I will have to try that as well.

I am worried there is irreparable damage. I hope I am overly concerned at this time. Should I call Dillon. Have I galled the ram?
 
Feel the ram. If it's galled you'll know. If aluminum is deposited on the shaft then remove it somehow and you should be fine. These are pretty over built.
 
I am worried there is irreparable damage. I hope I am overly concerned at this time. Should I call Dillon. Have I galled the ram?
Click to expand...

There obviously linkage connections that need to be greased too. You can also disconnect them from the ram to feel where the resistance is coming from.
 
I use Lubriplate (Special Marine Grease) a 14OZ container is a life time supply along with several follow on generations of your family. Using it since my M1 & M14 days. Employed on my Dillon 550.
 
I do not even have one of their machines but the manual clearly states to use 30 weight oil on the shaft and bearing grease on the pivots. I am sure any decent sythetic gun oil would work as well.

On my press I clean the shaft off with a solvent and wipe it dry then apply fresh oil, Clean the old :crud" off and re lube.

Any machine with moving metal parts needs maintenance and lubrication.

http://dillonhelp.com/Dillon Manual PDFs/dillon_rl_550b_manual_may_2007.pdf


15
Lubrication
U
se 30 weight motor oil on the main shaft and bearing
grease on the pivot pins. Do not use spray type penetrating
lube such as WD40 or Break Free as you run the risk of
contaminating powder and primer
 
I just purchased a 550 with the grease fitting; I don't see how theres anyway grease can be distributed all across that pivot bar. Seems to me it will only grease the left side where the fitting is located, leaving the right side dry. I notice they left the grease hole on that right side but eliminated the one on the left since they installed a grease fitting. Now I have the pleasure of having to have two grease nozzles to service the new machine since I have two older machines that I use a grease gun with special needle nose fitting to grease the holes as well as the two holes in the upper arms. Oh well!
 
30 weight oil is recommend I believe. That is what I keep on my press's ram.
 
Might be powder/primer residue you get from decapping, contaminating the ram surface as i'very had something similar happen when my 550 was new seemed to do better wiping off the ram first and then luring the ram above and below the frame. It did have that bunt rubber smell as well
 
Someone told me the pivot bar has a spiral groove cut into it that distributes the grease, but I haven't taken my 650 (similar?) apart to inspect.

Dillon says to use ONLY 30 wt motor oil on the shaft and to avoid other lubes.
But it's pretty hard to find straight 30 wt any more, most motor oil is multi-grade like 10W-30; and that means it's only a 30 wt at high temps, like around 300'F. It would take a multi-grade something like 15w-40 or 15W-50 to be a 30 wt at normal room temperature.
 
If you buy a Dillon maintenance kit for spare parts it comes with lube. I did buy a zert tip fitting to pump grease in those little holes in the linkage.
 
Gearhead Jim said:
Someone told me the pivot bar has a spiral groove cut into it that distributes the grease, but I haven't taken my 650 (similar?) apart to inspect.

Dillon says to use ONLY 30 wt motor oil on the shaft and to avoid other lubes.
But it's pretty hard to find straight 30 wt any more, most motor oil is multi-grade like 10W-30; and that means it's only a 30 wt at high temps, like around 300'F. It would take a multi-grade something like 15w-40 or 15W-50 to be a 30 wt at normal room temperature.
Click to expand...

Well I guess it is Winter now in some places so the !0W would be good if the press is cold, as it warms up the 30 W kicks in.:D;)

Doesn't Dillon sell high priced Blue smashed Smurf oil?
 
The reciprocation motion of the ram and toggle action of the linkage arms doesn't require a specialized lubrication for all we know the 30SAE oil recommended was simply implemented under the engineering principle of WAG (Wild Ass Guess) and most readily available off the shelf lubricant weight.
 
Found out today while pumping grease into the zerk fitting on my new 550, it came out the opposite side hole; thus it does "migrate" across the entire pivot pin in the arm.
 
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