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Dillon 550B question


Hoss

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I acquired a Dillon 550B at an estate sale. Setting it up to load 38-55. Pretty much got it figured out, except the primers are not fully seating.  I looked in the book, it said tighten shell plate. I did that but could not turn it. Backed off just enough so I could index the shell plate, but again, primers not fully seating.  

 

Any my ideas for me?

 

and....by the way, I’ll be selling a ton of reloading stuff on the SASS wire soon, as soon as I get it all inventoried. Boxes and boxes of stuff, Bullets, brass , tools, scales, dies, misc reloading gear. The bullets and brass are all non-CAS stuff. 9mm, 223,  308. 

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First thing is check primer cup is adjusted to correct depth. It is an easy 1 time adjustment with set screw. Next thing I had found was underneath the main Shel plate where the ramp for she'll case slide on into position 1 is 2 small screws that back out. Raise ram and look under to check.

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Plus 1 on the primer cup adjustment. There is a dimension of 1.215 to 1.220 from the bottom of the slide to the top of primer post.   Without out a shell in place is the post slightly above the plate under the shell holder?      GW

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10 hours ago, David Richert said:

Contact Dillon the have great service, you might need a new/adjusted primer bar

+ 100000 

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Hoss

Something bizarre happened on my 550 awhile back. A primer got embedded on the bottom side of the shellplate platform #13781. It would not let it bottom out.

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Well, loooong day at work today. Not much time/patience to work on the press. I did confirm the 2 screws on the bottom of the carriage are tight. I monkeyed with the primer cup height by adjusting the set screw on the bar. may have done more harm than good. Now it won’t load a primer from the tube. I kinda gave up on it for the night. 

 

Yes lumpy the the metal plate under the primer slide is in place. 

 

Hopefully ill I’ll get s chance to monkey with it tomorrow 

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Are you SURE you have the correct shell plate?  It shouldn't allow the shell to tip or wobble around very much.  I put a "Hit Factor" bearing set under the bolt for the shellplate on both of my 550Bs, reduces drag and wobble of the shellplate.  I get more precise primer seating and smoother rotation of the shellplate.  

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8 hours ago, Hoss said:

Well, loooong day at work today. Not much time/patience to work on the press. I did confirm the 2 screws on the bottom of the carriage are tight. I monkeyed with the primer cup height by adjusting the set screw on the bar. may have done more harm than good. Now it won’t load a primer from the tube. I kinda gave up on it for the night. 

 

Yes lumpy the the metal plate under the primer slide is in place. 

 

Hopefully ill I’ll get s chance to monkey with it tomorrow 

The set screw don’t adjust anything. It just holds the primer punch in place. You’ll need to take the slide out and adjust the punch. When you put it back, do not over tighten the two screws holding the primer feed to the press.

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I own two RL550B's and one thing I can tell you is get a manual. remove everything that is bolted to the frame, clean and lube everything. Then reassemble and properly tighten every fastener. Make your adjustments as per  the manual set up guide. and start loading. I use my presses to the point that this is a annual PM i do to the machines. This thing is a machine and if not adjusted and torqued properly it will do strange things. Once adjusted and torqued it will run a very long time with no adjustment needed. 

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12 hours ago, Hoss said:

Well, loooong day at work today. Not much time/patience to work on the press. I did confirm the 2 screws on the bottom of the carriage are tight. I monkeyed with the primer cup height by adjusting the set screw on the bar. may have done more harm than good. Now it won’t load a primer from the tube. I kinda gave up on it for the night. 

 

Yes lumpy the the metal plate under the primer slide is in place. 

 

Hopefully ill I’ll get s chance to monkey with it tomorrow 

Put the primer seater all the way to the bottom of the primer slide.

Can you post a picture of just the issue is?

OLG

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ive got a manual.  I can tell you dyslexia is not your freind when reading a manual and then transferring that info to a press!!!!

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13 hours ago, Hoss said:

Well, loooong day at work today. Not much time/patience to work on the press. I did confirm the 2 screws on the bottom of the carriage are tight. I monkeyed with the primer cup height by adjusting the set screw on the bar. may have done more harm than good.

 

“Now it won’t load a primer from the tube. I kinda gave up on it for the night.”

I have an issue with primer drops also. I have to give the slide a little pull back to get aligned with the primer tube. Frustrating that I can’t figure that one out. 

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39 minutes ago, John E.B. Rawton said:

I have an issue with primer drops also. I have to give the slide a little pull back to get aligned with the primer tube. Frustrating that I can’t figure that one out. 

 

It's almost always caused by either not getting the primer cup and plunger exactly vertical in the slide or by not getting the slide guide screwed down exactly in the right place.   If the cup leans away from the primer feed tube (with the plastic "valve" at the bottom), then the wall of the cup does not open the valve to let a primer out of tube into the cup.  The slide guide has to be aligned so it puts the cup exactly in the hole in the shell plate (at the forward end of the slide stroke) and so the cup opens the valve to drop primer (at the rear end of stroke).   

 

After a year of practice setting the slide guide properly before you tighten the two bottom screws up into it, you will probably be able to do this in your sleep.  One tip that usually gets me very close - empty the shell plate of shells, leave the slide guide screws slightly loose, then push the handle forward like you are seating a primer.  Then tighten screws when the cup pokes up exactly centered in the shell plate hole.

 

After a couple years of use, replace the plastic primer tube feeder valve.   Dillon will send you a couple if you call them!  Those do wear out, and then they either drop more than one primer, or refuse to drop a primer periodically.

 

Good luck, GJ  

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Hey Hoss, I doubt this will help as it is Square Deal B related, but you never know.  When I bought a used SDB years ago, had primers not fully seating, turned out it was an old style lever arm that was prone to a hairline crack which would open up as the arm was pushed forward to prime.  Dillon sent sent a new arm which had been redesigned to have lengthwise ribs to give it strength.  I have no idea if older 550 arms had the same design.

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40 minutes ago, John E.B. Rawton said:

I have an issue with primer drops also. I have to give the slide a little pull back to get aligned with the primer tube. Frustrating that I can’t figure that one out. 

Lightly- bend the lever arm's lower section towards you to add more tension to the sliders roller.

Put a drop of oil where the arm contacts that roller. Put a drop of oil on that arms pivot point.

Oil the top, bottom and side of the primer slide.

OLG

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1 hour ago, Hoss said:

ive got a manual.  I can tell you dyslexia is not your freind when reading a manual and then transferring that info to a press!!!!

Look over the pictures on pg #9 of the PDF I posted.

OLG

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As per Perro Del Diablo's post above, check these two screws. If either of them backs out, it hits the frame and prevents the table from going all the way down. Drove me nuts for half an hour or so discovering this. It doesn't take much - if one of them backs out a quarter turn and the other one is tight, the cartridge guide/primer slide, whatever it's called, will still feel solid, but the loose screw prevents it from going all the way down.

Laying on my back on the floor looking up from the bottom. Popsicle stick to hold the primer catcher open to get a shot of the screws. 

 

(edit) Oops - I see you already checked these. Oh well - while I was down there, I found some of those tiny springs and microscopic detent balls that have went flying over the years. :lol:

100_2677.JPG

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Hoss - Dillon is great for customer service if after trying all the great advice here you can always call Dillon.  I also suggest getting the spare parts kit for your machine, it has all the parts that will typically break or wear out at the worst time.  The other up side to the kit is once you get it, if you have to use any of the parts in the kit Dillon will replace them for free.

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On 8/22/2019 at 6:34 PM, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Any update?

OLG

Well, it’s been one of those weeks. Danged old boss expects me to work everyday!  I haven’t really had time to mess with it. Probably going to be Sunday or Monday before I get back to it 

 

thanks for checking! 

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Well finally got around to working with the 550. 

Solved one problem. My primer seating depth was because some moron put the shellplate on upside down.  The manual even warns about this!!!

onto problem 2. About every 5 or so rounds the expander/powder drop station will booger up a case. I’ve backed the die of to where there is no flair at all. Would have to hold Bullet on case to feed it into Bullet seating. Still happens. Adjust die down to minimum flair, still happens. 

And not every time, but about every 5 or so. 

 

54EFB85E-FCB5-46A4-B1B1-4A04AA3073EF.jpeg

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Is there something in the shell plate (sliver of lead) that is not allowing the case to be fully up against the inside edge? Is the plastic tab (assuming that is what the blue thing is) raising the pin and allowing to cartridge to migrate away from the shell plate somehow?  I've encountered the first and have suspected the second.

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45 minutes ago, Hoss said:

Well finally got around to working with the 550. 

Solved one problem. My primer seating depth was because some moron put the shellplate on upside down.  The manual even warns about this!!!

onto problem 2. About every 5 or so rounds the expander/powder drop station will booger up a case. I’ve backed the die of to where there is no flair at all. Would have to hold Bullet on case to feed it into Bullet seating. Still happens. Adjust die down to minimum flair, still happens. 

And not every time, but about every 5 or so. 

 

54EFB85E-FCB5-46A4-B1B1-4A04AA3073EF.jpeg

 

That blue plastic tab under the pin might be the issue........

Also-Make sure the up & down play on the shell plate is removed by tightening the center bolt to where the plate 'just' turns freely.

OLG

 

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I just put the plastic tab on because it’s so hard to grab them aggravating pins! 

 

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3 hours ago, Hoss said:

I just put the plastic tab on because it’s so hard to grab them aggravating pins! 

 

Are you absolutely, unequivocally sort of positive those are the correct pins for the caliber ??

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#4 locator button required and on machine. (You can see it if you enlarge the picture) but, I would move the plastic tab to station 3. Then you can rotate the case forward to station 3 if you want to double check your powder load. It’s easier to get the case out and back again if need be. 

Just my $.02

 

TTB

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6 hours ago, Hoss said:

About every 5 or so rounds the expander/powder drop station will booger up a case.

 

Either the locator pin is damaged, bent, or not low enough to have the head of the pin touch (and thus align) the case rim along the diameter (inwards and outwards).

Or the shell plate is not stopping at the detent ball.  Since this happens only occasionally (once per 4 or so), I'd guess the second cause.  Or shell plate is dirty or damaged.

 

Clean bottom of shell plate and ensure the index location ball under the shell plate is still moving up and down and is lubricated often enough (maybe 6 month interval).   That locator ball helps the shell plate snap exactly into the proper location under the tool head.   

 

Examine the bottom of shell plate, too.  If one detent divot is damaged and wallowed out, then one out of four cases might get dinged when the bad detent is reached.

 

Finally, clean all the case rim recesses in the shell plate.  Get the crud out of there that any residual fouling, bullet lube or other junk from fired cases leaves in these recesses.   A brass wire brush is ideal for this job.    A recess fouled up can cause mislocation of one case out of four resulting in mouth damage.

 

Good luck, GJ

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