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Old January 24, 2009, 08:58 AM   #1
RedHawk357
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Dillon Powder Measure

Recently got an opportunity to put to use a New to Me 550B press. Bought it probably four years ago and it's been in storage since then. When I got it out I notice a kinda sticky gunk on it, like what ever lube on it turned from "slick" to "ick". Got the ick off the press and my dies but the powder measure just doesn't seem to want to come out of hibernation. It seems like it's still sticky even tough I broke it down and removed the all the"ick" I could see with rags and Q tips. Should the parts on the powder measure move pretty smoothly or does it kinda drag? Sometimes it throws a charge most of the time it won't. The instructions mention adjusting powder die but that doesn't seem to get it either. To give you an indication of how much effort to move the powder measure, it causes the the attached connecting rod to flex slightly while cycling(the one with the blue wing nut and spring on left side), leading me to believe the powder measure is still gummy some where. Definitely not a reliable measure at the moment. If I need to clean the measure better what would be safe to use on it? Thanks for any suggestions on what to try next.
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Old January 24, 2009, 09:05 AM   #2
WESHOOT2
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had fifteen, still have ten that work

Easy answer: Call Dillon and tell them of your woes. They will satisfy you.
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Old January 24, 2009, 09:32 AM   #3
GoldenRoyBoy
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Ickky stuff ---

Your powder dispenser should operate smoothly; without any hesitation.

Here's a trick I learned; Charcoal Lighter fluid.
This stuff is great; and generally safe/cheap to use for removing almost anything. Since I cast most of my own bullets, I use it a lot; removing wax lube from casings, and such. WD40 is a great cleaner as well. If you should decide to use either on your powder dispenser, I'd suggest wiping the internals with rubbing alcohol afterwards, to remove any oils.

Shoot safe!
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Old January 24, 2009, 10:22 AM   #4
cgaengineer
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A can of Brake Clean will clean those "icky" parts in short order and will not leave a residue.

The WD-40 or Ligher fluid idea would probably work as well.
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Old January 24, 2009, 12:05 PM   #5
PCJim
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Red, before using any of the solvent suggestions, be sure to remove the plastic powder tube so that it does not become disfigured or soft. And I'll second the call to Dillon - their service is top notch.

Also, try these ideas. Remove the long linkage that connects to the shellplate holder. Check that the cam linkages on the side of the powder measure are free and work smoothly, are tight but not overtightened. You could also loosen them a bit and try moving the dispenser bar back and forth to determine if the bar is the problem area. It should slide very freely. If you have to remove the powder bar, be sure to reassemble it correctly.
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Old January 24, 2009, 12:29 PM   #6
arizona98tj
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Quote:
To give you an indication of how much effort to move the powder measure, it causes the the attached connecting rod to flex slightly while cycling(the one with the blue wing nut and spring on left side), leading me to believe the powder measure is still gummy some where.
While I have a 650, I though the operation of the powder measure was the same for both the 550 and 650. Yes or no?

If it is, then why is the powder measure connecting rod flexing? The rod's purpose is to help reset the measure and so it is pulled, not pushed, when properly set up. It almost sounds as though you have things assembled incorrectly if the rod is flexing while you are pulling the ram is being raised. (or I have misunderstood what you wrote)
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Old January 24, 2009, 01:57 PM   #7
RedHawk357
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Resolved

Turns out the lighter fluid worked like a charm. When I first cleaned it I didn't want to put any kind of cleaner on the powder bar. I took it back apart hit with lighter fluid and it took all the friction out and slides easily. Throws great charges now. Thanks everyone. Appreciate everybody taking the time to respond.
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Old January 24, 2009, 02:03 PM   #8
RedHawk357
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Arizona, what was causing the connecting rod to flex was the remaining "ick" on the powder bar was gumming up the sliding movement of the operation. Even after scrubbing without solvent there was enough "ick" left to cause the connecting rod to flex/bind when it was resetting itself. Hitting with solvent freed the moving parts and works fine now. Thanks again.
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Old January 24, 2009, 07:39 PM   #9
arizona98tj
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Glad to hear you got it working. That's good news! Good luck on your 550 adventures.

I went over to Dillon today and picked up the parts for a .223 conversion on my press. They were VERY busy.....NObama is helping their business for sure!
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