I posted this on another forum and thought I would share here.
Dillon 550 rebuild.
I just finished PMing one of my 550's and thought I would do a write up of what is involved.
I wish I still had a 650 and Square Deal so I could do a write up on them.
First thing you will want is a alignment tool from Dilllon. Call them and they will send you one NO CHARGE.
You can do it without the tool but it is easier with it.
Alignment tool
You will need a empty tool head and a powder drop die if you are using the alignment tool.
First thing is strip the press. Remove toolhead with dies and powder measure.
Remove priming system.
Remove shell plate and brass station pins.
IMPORTIANT next find and remove the 2 bolts(picture below) from plate setting on top of the ram.(under the shell plate that you have already removed) These bolts need to be removed first as they will be hard to loosen if you undo the linkages first. The plate on top of the ram must be removed first or ram will not come up thru the opening on the top of the press(where toolhead goes).
Picture of top of ram with plate removed.
Set this plate aside and be careful not to lose the detent ball and spring that sets in this plate.
Note the position of the 2 linkage arms. Left arm should have Dillon cast into it on the left hand side. Right arm has the knob that the primer catch bin sits on.
Older presses have a circlip holding in the pin that connects the 2 linkage arms.
Newer presses have a nut with a grease zerk. While this is a nice feature the rest of the linkages still need some grease.
Remove RIGHT circlip or nut which ever you have. RIGHT side ONLY.
Note the washers in between the arms and rocker. Old style has wave washers.
Push the pin from right to left Catching the washers as the pin passes thru them. (might need to use a punch and small hammer if the press has been used a lot). [Note: See post #18 if your press has the newer nuts rather than circlip. The bearing is stepped and cannot be driven out.]
Next is the pin on the bottom of the ram. CAREFULL there is a set screw that comes up from the BOTTOM of the ram. Raise the ram and loosen the set screw until pin comes out. Pin has a groove in it that the set screw fits into. You don’t need to completely remove the set screw. Just loosen enough to remove pin.
Rocker(with operating handle) is loose now and can be set aside.
Picture of bottom of ram and set screw.
Picture of pin with set screw groove.
Ram is now free to remove. Push up from bottom and grab the top part and pull straight up and out of press.
Last thing is the linkage arms. If you look these are hanging on pins that are splined into the press.
One of the pins has a hole in it.
I use a brass squib rod to put thru the pin with the hole in it. The other pin is a solid pin. Drive out the solid pin with the rod thru the hollow pin.
Solid pin coming out.
Now take the rod and put thru the hole where the solid pin(that you just drove out) was and carefully put it on the back EDGE of the hollow pin. Now drive out the hollow pin.
Hollow pin coming out.
Linkage arms should be free.
Clean everything up and check linkage arms for galling. Clean up any galling.
Clean up the hole in the press body that the ram fits into.
I use wheel bearing grease on all the pins. But any good automotive grease will work.
I use a thick oil on the ram(30 weight).
Reassemble in reverse of how you took apart.
Linkage arms first (make sure the one with the knob for the spent primer catch is on the right and right side up). Left linkage arm should say Dillon on left side and right arm should say on right side.
Pins will slip all the way in until splines hit press. Tap them in until flush.
Put ram back in the press.(note set screw that holds the shell plate bolt goes to the left side)
While you have the rocker assembly off if you have a roller handle now is a good time to put a drop of oil in the end of it.
Rocker assembly next. Put the greased pin(the one with the groove in it) thru the rocker assembly and ram. Tighten the set screw on the bottom of the ram. Make sure the set screw is in the groove. (pin should be almost flush on both sides).
The long pin is next. It fits thru the linkage arms and rocker assembly. One end of this pin should have the circlip or nut still on it. Grease everything up and slip the pin thru the left linkage arm first. DON’T forget a washer fits between each linkage arm and the rocker assembly. Feed it thru left linkage arm- washer- rocker assembly- washer- right linkage arm. Put nut or circlip on the right side.
Put the plate back on top of the ram. Don’t forget the bracket for the positive powder return. It goes under this plate.
Just lightly tighten the 2 screws that holds the plate on the ram.
Put empty tool head in press and use the pins that hold it in.
Install powder thru die in station #1 (Size and prime position) screw it in about half way.
Put the alignment tool in the powder drop die.
Raise the ram and the tool should slip right in the hole in the plate that the primer comes thru.
If it doesn’t loosen the 2 screws slightly and move plate around until the tool slips into the hole without hitting plate.
Tighten the 2 screws and check again that when the ram raises that the alignment tool goes into the hole in the plate with out touching the plate.
Clean up primer system and powder measure and finish reassembling everything.
Mine had 10K rounds loaded on it since last teardown and it was fine grease wise. Just needed a general cleaning around primer system and shell plate.
I probably won’t disassemble again until 25K unless I feel like it is starting to drag.
My press is kept in the heated and air-conditioned house. If kept in a unheated building or garage the press might need serviced more often.
Dillon 550 rebuild.
I just finished PMing one of my 550's and thought I would do a write up of what is involved.
I wish I still had a 650 and Square Deal so I could do a write up on them.
First thing you will want is a alignment tool from Dilllon. Call them and they will send you one NO CHARGE.
You can do it without the tool but it is easier with it.
Alignment tool
You will need a empty tool head and a powder drop die if you are using the alignment tool.
First thing is strip the press. Remove toolhead with dies and powder measure.
Remove priming system.
Remove shell plate and brass station pins.
IMPORTIANT next find and remove the 2 bolts(picture below) from plate setting on top of the ram.(under the shell plate that you have already removed) These bolts need to be removed first as they will be hard to loosen if you undo the linkages first. The plate on top of the ram must be removed first or ram will not come up thru the opening on the top of the press(where toolhead goes).
Picture of top of ram with plate removed.
Set this plate aside and be careful not to lose the detent ball and spring that sets in this plate.
Note the position of the 2 linkage arms. Left arm should have Dillon cast into it on the left hand side. Right arm has the knob that the primer catch bin sits on.
Older presses have a circlip holding in the pin that connects the 2 linkage arms.
Newer presses have a nut with a grease zerk. While this is a nice feature the rest of the linkages still need some grease.
Remove RIGHT circlip or nut which ever you have. RIGHT side ONLY.
Note the washers in between the arms and rocker. Old style has wave washers.
Push the pin from right to left Catching the washers as the pin passes thru them. (might need to use a punch and small hammer if the press has been used a lot). [Note: See post #18 if your press has the newer nuts rather than circlip. The bearing is stepped and cannot be driven out.]
Next is the pin on the bottom of the ram. CAREFULL there is a set screw that comes up from the BOTTOM of the ram. Raise the ram and loosen the set screw until pin comes out. Pin has a groove in it that the set screw fits into. You don’t need to completely remove the set screw. Just loosen enough to remove pin.
Rocker(with operating handle) is loose now and can be set aside.
Picture of bottom of ram and set screw.
Picture of pin with set screw groove.
Ram is now free to remove. Push up from bottom and grab the top part and pull straight up and out of press.
Last thing is the linkage arms. If you look these are hanging on pins that are splined into the press.
One of the pins has a hole in it.
I use a brass squib rod to put thru the pin with the hole in it. The other pin is a solid pin. Drive out the solid pin with the rod thru the hollow pin.
Solid pin coming out.
Now take the rod and put thru the hole where the solid pin(that you just drove out) was and carefully put it on the back EDGE of the hollow pin. Now drive out the hollow pin.
Hollow pin coming out.
Linkage arms should be free.
Clean everything up and check linkage arms for galling. Clean up any galling.
Clean up the hole in the press body that the ram fits into.
I use wheel bearing grease on all the pins. But any good automotive grease will work.
I use a thick oil on the ram(30 weight).
Reassemble in reverse of how you took apart.
Linkage arms first (make sure the one with the knob for the spent primer catch is on the right and right side up). Left linkage arm should say Dillon on left side and right arm should say on right side.
Pins will slip all the way in until splines hit press. Tap them in until flush.
Put ram back in the press.(note set screw that holds the shell plate bolt goes to the left side)
While you have the rocker assembly off if you have a roller handle now is a good time to put a drop of oil in the end of it.
Rocker assembly next. Put the greased pin(the one with the groove in it) thru the rocker assembly and ram. Tighten the set screw on the bottom of the ram. Make sure the set screw is in the groove. (pin should be almost flush on both sides).
The long pin is next. It fits thru the linkage arms and rocker assembly. One end of this pin should have the circlip or nut still on it. Grease everything up and slip the pin thru the left linkage arm first. DON’T forget a washer fits between each linkage arm and the rocker assembly. Feed it thru left linkage arm- washer- rocker assembly- washer- right linkage arm. Put nut or circlip on the right side.
Put the plate back on top of the ram. Don’t forget the bracket for the positive powder return. It goes under this plate.
Just lightly tighten the 2 screws that holds the plate on the ram.
Put empty tool head in press and use the pins that hold it in.
Install powder thru die in station #1 (Size and prime position) screw it in about half way.
Put the alignment tool in the powder drop die.
Raise the ram and the tool should slip right in the hole in the plate that the primer comes thru.
If it doesn’t loosen the 2 screws slightly and move plate around until the tool slips into the hole without hitting plate.
Tighten the 2 screws and check again that when the ram raises that the alignment tool goes into the hole in the plate with out touching the plate.
Clean up primer system and powder measure and finish reassembling everything.
Mine had 10K rounds loaded on it since last teardown and it was fine grease wise. Just needed a general cleaning around primer system and shell plate.
I probably won’t disassemble again until 25K unless I feel like it is starting to drag.
My press is kept in the heated and air-conditioned house. If kept in a unheated building or garage the press might need serviced more often.
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