Press maintenance

[JMayo]

oh my goodness ............I asked how to remove the pivots., not what to put on them

And i suggested to oil and move on.

 

[muleystalker]

It looks like you have to pull the C clip off and then the arms should be free to pop off.

Actually taking another look at it I think you may just have it! I just looked real quick and have never had one.

 

[bobaloo22]

That's great! I use an old Lyman Spartan and it looks similar so I thought it might work.
Bob

 

[acloco]

Wondering out loud, but why would person NOT provide, at least SOME maintenance for a tool that they depend on?

Props to the original poster, something that is overlooked.

 

[TTE]

It looks like you have to pull the C clip off and then the arms should be free to pop off.

Yep .... did that and lubed them up. The top and bottom "pins/pivots" may be pressed in, as they don't seem to be able to be removed. Would like to be able to lube them too, but it's looking like I won't be able to get that done.

 

[kenhwind]

I looked online for a diagram but also looked at some pictures. It looks like there is either set screws or grease holes in these presses.
The first Dillon 550 we had had no means to lube other than the ram, which they advise to use oil. The second 550 we acquired had holes in the crank and arms to grease. Now the crank pin has a grease fitting.
Dillon provides an exploded drawing so how to disassemble is obvious.

 

[TTE]

I looked online for a diagram but also looked at some pictures. It looks like there is either set screws or grease holes in these presses.
The first Dillon 550 we had had no means to lube other than the ram, which they advise to use oil. The second 550 we acquired had holes in the crank and arms to grease. Now the crank pin has a grease fitting.
Dillon provides an exploded drawing so how to disassemble is obvious.

I looked for a diagram as well but could not find one. I also looked at the Forster site but could not get their PDF to load. If you found a diagram, I would appreciate a link (if it's not from Forster)
Thanks.

 

[Webster]

Extended my reloading bench and moving my press. Thought I would service my Bonanza Co-Ax.

However, ..... I couldn't figure out how to get it apart.
Assistance would be appreciated.
Thanks

Don't see why you need to take a press apart to lube it. Just put oil on all the pivot points, it will get inside by itself. Never saw a press wear out.

 

[dcali]

It looks like you just take off the e clip and pull it off?

But not to sound like a broken record, but you don’t need to do anything at all.

 

[Tedk]

oh my goodness ............I asked how to remove the pivots., not what to put on them

Up til now, nobody has answered your question!

 

[358WCF]

Hoping the OP has it figured out by now, but...

I have a Bonanza. It looks like the upper pins (A) on mine are secured in the middle with long roll pins The lower pins (C) on mine also appear to be pinned in the middle (holes by arrows below?), but the diagram shows set screws. If pinned, it looks like the shellholder etc. must come off to remove them. This is a royal PITA on the older presses. Watch for flying springs. The B pins are secured by E clips.

No disassembly required. I've been using Rem-Oil for the past 35 or more years. It contains Teflon & the carrier disappears, so no oily mess to attract dust & grit. Kroil or Free-All should work almost as well. Put a catch pan under the press... a wastebasket works. Douse the pins & sliding parts & operate the press repeatedly. Re-douse as needed until the grimy dirt gets a bit cleaner, wipe it down, & call it good.

The press has been updated over the years since Bonanza made them, so there will be subtle differences from the diagram below.

 

[209jones]

I just put a drop of oil on each ram post and run it up and down a few times. Pull the links off and lube the pins or the inside of the link and put them back on. Take the jaws apart, very carefully, to keep the springs in there, clean with elec cleaner, lube and reassemble. No major rocket science to it. Used some FP10 syn lube as that's what I had handy, case lube would work too.

 

[TTE]

Hoping the OP has it figured out by now, but...

I have a Bonanza. It looks like the upper pins (A) on mine are secured in the middle with long roll pins The lower pins (C) on mine also appear to be pinned in the middle (holes by arrows below?), but the diagram shows set screws. If pinned, it looks like the shellholder etc. must come off to remove them. This is a royal PITA on the older presses. Watch for flying springs. The B pins are secured by E clips.

No disassembly required. I've been using Rem-Oil for the past 35 or more years. It contains Teflon & the carrier disappears, so no oily mess to attract dust & grit. Kroil or Free-All should work almost as well. Put a catch pan under the press... a wastebasket works. Douse the pins & sliding parts & operate the press repeatedly. Re-douse as needed until the grimy dirt gets a bit cleaner, wipe it down, & call it good.

The press has been updated over the years since Bonanza made them, so there will be subtle differences from the diagram below.

View attachment 1660029

Appreciated - Not the same press however.
I got everything lubed up. A few drops of Kroil on the pivots.
Laid it on it's side for a couple of days and repeated on the other side.

Worked the handle up and down a few times and it was well lubed.
One of the top pivots did start to come out on it's own awhile after the Kroil treatment. After the third or forth time it sneaked out on it's own, I pulled it out and cleaned everything, lightly re-oiled and put it back in (the other side pivot did not make an appearance) . Worked well from then, with no further issues.

 

[Webster]

I'm happy for all you guys that have Dillons's and RCBS's that you oil occasionally. I don't have that kind of press.

In the 3rd photo you can see the top and bottom pivots clearly. That is what I would like to remove and grease/oil.

I've had the press for a long time and I figured since I am moving it to a different location on my bench, I would grease the pivots.

However, I cannot figure out how to get the pivots out (or at least figure out how to lube/oil em' without waiting for penetrating oil to "maybe" seep into the pivots)

I appreciate all the advise, however, this is not an RCBS or another style of press, it's a Bonanza, like a Forster.

If you have some experience/advise on how to remove the pivots, that is what I am asking for.

Thanks

Can't you get oil in the pivot places without disassembly?

 

[TTE]

Can't you get oil in the pivot places without disassembly?

see 1 post above ... well, 2 now

 

[Fire Dog]

Hoping the OP has it figured out by now, but...

I have a Bonanza. It looks like the upper pins (A) on mine are secured in the middle with long roll pins The lower pins (C) on mine also appear to be pinned in the middle (holes by arrows below?), but the diagram shows set screws. If pinned, it looks like the shellholder etc. must come off to remove them. This is a royal PITA on the older presses. Watch for flying springs. The B pins are secured by E clips.

No disassembly required. I've been using Rem-Oil for the past 35 or more years. It contains Teflon & the carrier disappears, so no oily mess to attract dust & grit. Kroil or Free-All should work almost as well. Put a catch pan under the press... a wastebasket works. Douse the pins & sliding parts & operate the press repeatedly. Re-douse as needed until the grimy dirt gets a bit cleaner, wipe it down, & call it good.

The press has been updated over the years since Bonanza made them, so there will be subtle differences from the diagram below.

View attachment 1660029

I too have a Bonanza and as mentioned before just remove the C-clips {E-rings} off the ends of the pivot shafts, top and bottom and the side linkages will come off...
NOW, order the curved ones from Inline and replace the straight ones for more access.
Foster has now copied the idea and has their own version.
If you want to remove the upper yoke out the two roll pins on the top side of cast body {see Pin A} and then you can pull out the main pin "C" though why you want to do this I am not sure, mine is going strong for about 50 years and I have always used some "Dry Slide" that is Moly in a solvent carrier that evaporates once it has carried the moly into any crack and crevice...
Get a can of Break Cleaner and hose down all the moving areas to get all the crud out and down to fresh clean metal and use the Dry Slide on the pivot pins, a light wipe of case lube on the two guide rods and on the side link pins before putting them back on or just some more Dry Slide in the hinge joint.
A drop of sewing machine oil on the Shell plate assembly so the jaws slide smoothly but don't get carried away and you are good to go for years ahead = 10"s of K rounds.
AMEN to the comment about the springs in the jaw assembly.... Have spent hours on hands and knees searching for one of those little Bast^rds... I now keep several extra in the cupboard and always put a towel around the press when changing ends on the jaw assembly. Helps keep the little springs localized...

Curved Linkage for Co-Ax® Press – Forster Products

Curved Linkage for Co-Ax® Press $ 40.00 Original price was: $40.00. $ 30.00 Current price is: $30.00. Curved Linkage for Co-Ax® Press quantity

www.forsterproducts.com

 

[Fire Dog]

Can't you get oil in the pivot places without disassembly?

Yes, of course you can... I use Dry Slide that is Moly in a solvent that penetrates to coat every small crack and joint and stays behind after the solvent evaporates.
If you really want to go "Whole Hog" then use a spray can of Break Cleaner to wash out all and any crud and old lubricant first and then re-lube all the moving points... Something light such as sewing machine oil is also good and a light wipe of any good case lube on the guide rails and your good to go.

 

[Wild Bill IV]

Appreciated - Not the same press however.
I got everything lubed up. A few drops of Kroil on the pivots.
Laid it on it's side for a couple of days and repeated on the other side.

Worked the handle up and down a few times and it was well lubed.
One of the top pivots did start to come out on it's own awhile after the Kroil treatment. After the third or forth time it sneaked out on it's own, I pulled it out and cleaned everything, lightly re-oiled and put it back in (the other side pivot did not make an appearance) . Worked well from then, with no further issues.

TTE:

A little words of advice!!! I was thinking about tearing my Bonanza CO-AX MODEL B-1 down and doing a complete clean-up and relube!!! But, I have noticed several minor differences between the Forster and the Bonanza presses!!!

A question you need to ask yourself is:
If I lose a part, or break a part (Casting Parts), or miss assemble, how can I get a replacement or assembly drawings??? Will the Forster parts be the same as the Bonanza parts??? Will I have to have custom machined parts made???

Like most posts in this thread, clean it the best you can, lube it and move on!!!!
I use cheap 3 In 1 oil on all moving parts!!! Work the press several times!!! Wipe everything down!!! Repeat the oiling, working, wiping down three or four cycles!!! This will carry out the black crud and replace it with the oil!! Then, I use brass instrument slide and valve oil for a couple more purging of the black crud!!!! Then, for my final two lube purging cycles, I use Singer Sewing Machine oil!!!! A LITTLE BIT OF THESE OILS GOES A LONG WAY!!!

That press works so smooth after purging the crud!!! BETTER THAN BRAND NEW!!! I was very close to 25K reloads on that press before purge cleaning!!! That doesn't count all the bullets pulled!!! As mentioned above, all owners of the spring jaw system, have spent days looking for those springs!!!! They are cheap to purchase!!! Buy some spares, it will save you time!!! And, sooner or later, those lost springs will reappear!!!!

I have a Bonanza parts and cost list (April 1, 1983) for various Bonanza products!!! They do not sell very many parts for the press itself!!!! This is why, I suggest purging the black crud process!!!

Suggested retail price of the Bonanza CO-AX presses on that parts list:
Model B-1 (Shell holder primer system) $156.00,
Model B-2 (E-Z-Just 3 jaw priming system) $170.00
This 2 Model Priming Systems are a simple exchange at the top of the 2 CO-AX rods!!! Everything else, is the same!!!

 

[SeabeeKen]

I just apply a few drops of Bore Tech CLP to the moving parts and go to work. It cleans out the small amount of dirt in the press and is the slickest lube Ive ever used. It works its way thru and brings the dirt with it. I just wipe it down and apply some more. FWIW.

 

[Wild Bill IV]

As an engineer, I thought this might be interesting to note:
Mechanical Advantage of the Bonanza CO-AX press:
1.0" short of full travel (SOFT) 8.38:1
0.2" SOFT 18.32:1
0.1" SOFT 24.89:1
Full Travel 41.94:1
So, at near full stroke (slight contact at the stops) applying 30lbs on the rubber grip on the standard long handle will yield appropriately 1260lbs (just over 5/8 of a ton) on the working die!!! 10lbs force on the grip yields 419.4lbs (over 1/5 of a ton) on the die at full travel!!