New Dillon 650 shell plate binds during use - what to do?

[IMtheNRA]

I am helping a friend set up his brand new 650 and we ran into one little problem. During use, the shell plate bolt gets tighter and tighter, until the shell plate does not index correctly and eventually binds up.

Even after loosening the shell plate bolt, and until it tightens itself again, the press operation does not feel buttery smooth like my 1050. It feels like there is excessive drag in the action, as though the parts need to "wear in" together, but I don't think the press is assembled with such tight clearances that wearing in is necessary.

After eventually reading the manual, and looking online, we did discover that the shell plate self-tightening is attributed to a loose set screw on the left side of the ram, almost at the very top of the ram. Sure enough, the set screw was loose, but after tightening it, the problem persists.

Dillon is closed until Monday, so if anyone here knows what our problem is, please post a great, easy solution!

 

[Hoopjj]

There is an 1/8 set screw on the left side under the shell plate that you must tighten after setting the main bolt to lock it in place and keep it from tightening up

 

[egd]

sure does help to read past the first line...

 

[MikeInOr]

Loosen the set screw. Remove the shell plate bolt. Take a good look at the shell plate bolt, you probably galled the bolt where the set screw hits it. A bit of emery cloth / fine sand paper should smooth the galling out allowing the set screw to firmly hold the shell plate bolt and keep it from moving when the shell plate indexes. If you really buggered up the bolt you might need to replace it.

My 650 has always been very smooth since I bought it used about 25 years ago. I don't know what a new one feels like but I would expect one to be quite smooth. You might need to clean the shell plate and bolt when you have it off the press to inspect the bolt. Put a touch of grease on the underside of the head of the bolt when you reassemble.

Most of the drag in my press comes from the shell pusher and the rod that drives it in and out. I did replace this rod with one that has a bearing on the bottom and that made it a touch smoother. I also paid for the bearing that goes between the shell plate and retaining bolt... it didn't make a noticable difference.

Edit: When you have the shell plate retaining bolt out of the press remove the set screw also. Blow through the set screw hole to make sure no garbage is in there to prevent the set screw from engaging the shell plate bolt. Clean off any grease from the set screw before putting it back in. Be careful to thread the set screw straight when putting it back in the press.

 

[rfwobbly]

► The main thing about the shell plate adjustment on a 550 or 650 is that the center bolt has got to be snugged up as much as possible without binding the rotation of the shell plate. As such, a tiny amount of grease under the head of the center bolt, and under the shell plate really helps.

► I traded in a buttery smooth 550 for a new 650 which does indeed seem to have some "stiffness" about it. But of course there is a lot more going on with the 650. The main thing that bothered me was the lack of lubrication points beyond the 2 zerks provided. I noted that the "knuckle" the op handle is connected to moves through a lot more angular rotation than the "dog bones". Also, there was no effective way to lubricate the ram.

Following Dillon's lead, I added three 1/32" holes and now inject light grease using a $12 needle-nozzle grease gun called the Astro 101 (Amazon).

Knuckle bottom hole is stock; top 2 holes were added...


The ram is now lubricated by a single hole, equidistant from the top and bottom...


Regardless of your personal choice of lubricant, adding these holes makes lubrication a lot more effective and efficient, which allows the press run more freely.

 

[jmorris]

Sure enough, the set screw was loose, but after tightening it, the problem persists.

Only way that can happen is if the set screw is not contacting the center bolt.

Might remove the center bolt, shine a light down inside the hole and make sure the set screw will move into the hole.

If the threads are messes up it might not go in far enough to make contact or maybe someone put two short set screws in there so you are just contacting the first with the second and doing nothing to secure the bolt?

 

[jmorris]

I use a thrust washer between the head and shell plate on my 650’, makes them smooth as warm butter.

 

[Nature Boy]

I use a thrust washer between the head and shell plate on my 650’, makes them smooth as warm butter.

I’ve done the same upgrade to mine

 

[Tilos]

I use a thrust washer between the head and shell plate on my 650’, makes them smooth as warm butter.

That bearing on ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_od...TRS0&_nkw=dillon+shell+plate+bearing&_sacat=0

 

[jmorris]

Yeah, you can buy it from a number of places for a lot of money. It’s $2 on Amazon or if you have a local bearing supply, just stop by an get it and two of the thin washers, you’ll be out less than $5.

https://www.amazon.com/Koyo-Assembly-19000rpm-Rotational-Capacity/dp/B006KT3084

 

[Tilos]

Yeah, you can buy it from a number of places for a lot of money. It’s $2 on Amazon or if you have a local bearing supply, just stop by an get it and two of the thin washers, you’ll be out less than $5.

https://www.amazon.com/Koyo-Assembly-19000rpm-Rotational-Capacity/dp/B006KT3084

That "Amazon" bearing and races are sold by the same vendor but each item has a $4 shipping fee, maybe they will only charge $4 shipping if you ordered all 3

 

[jmorris]

If there is a NAPA autoparts store in your town, you can stop by there and pick it up.

Ask for a Timken NTA-815, they have them because some manual transmission uses it for the reverse idler.

 

[Nature Boy]

If there is a NAPA autoparts store in your town, you can stop by there and pick it up.

Ask for a Timken NTA-815, they have them because some manual transmission uses it for the reverse idler.

That's where I got mine