Page 1 of 2

Lee bullet feeder binding?

Posted: 29 Jun 2020 10:55
by Crash40SW
SO I'm over 2000 rounds into my reloading with my current setup with my ABLP, and all of a sudden I started getting casings that were missing the bullets.. %@*&$?!

I've never run into this before, and I'm not sure how to even troubleshoot it.

What's happening is this - When I raise the handle on my ABLP to lower the carriage and cycle the cases to the next station, the bullet feeder resets partially and stops... almost exactly in the position in this photo, which is not a full reset:
Image
(thanks ranchdog for having this online!)

This causes the damper to pull further down the action rod, and on the next cycle of the press, the feeder link is raised past vertical until it's inline with the action rod and then wont reset at all, and then the damper is pulled off the action rod entirely.

If I manually tap the feed fingers past that sticking point, it will reset TOO far. The action rod pulls the feeder link down, and then PAST horizontal so the feeder link then goes DOWN.

(vector forces - the pull is inline with the push, so no side to side rotational movement)

I'll get a video of it up on Youtube later tonight. I'm stumped about what's causing this.

Re: Lee bullet feeder binding?

Posted: 29 Jun 2020 16:36
by az2vet
It has been a while since I have used my bullet feeder but I would check that the action rod is slightly lubricated as well as the feed finger to the bullet feed body. Then check the feed finger to bullet feed body screw for being to tight and causing a bind

Re: Lee bullet feeder binding?

Posted: 30 Jun 2020 03:32
by Ranch Dog
I wish I had recorded every little thing that has happened to me and the fix. I'm going to take a different direction than az2vet and suggest that the rod has gotten too slick and does not have enough resistance to cause the actuation. What I have done is take a small piece of 600 grit sandpaper and run it down the rod. Heck, try both slicking it up or cause more resistance at the buffer.

Re: Lee bullet feeder binding?

Posted: 30 Jun 2020 12:10
by az2vet
Been doing a bit of thinking about your issue and in looking at the picture you posted above I remembered that I was having some kind of an issue with mine at the feeder link and crank rod. I fixed it using a twist tie from a loaf of bread to keep the crank rod from pushing out of the feeder link. Wish I could remember the video on you tube where I got that from. Maybe NADA Sheep, he has lots of tips/tricks for LEE stuff.

Re: Lee bullet feeder binding?

Posted: 02 Jul 2020 23:10
by Crash40SW
I am a moron. I figured it out.

I forgot that the feeder link came off earlier from the nuts coming loose and falling off the pivot screw.

When I put it back on, I had it flipped backwards, so the finger on the far end pointed outwards, instead of inwards. This finger is what prevents the feeder link from going over-center, and apparently has an effect on the angle that the action rod connects at as well. This outward pitch of the action rod is what was causing it to bind and stop.

I also found out that lee made an add-on return spring for the feed body to fix some problems with reset, and apparently they aren't putting in the feeder kits anymore.

The spring is shown in the image above, but on mine it's a tiny little pen spring in a hole that has almost no compression strength at all. A few places still have them, so I'm going to pick one up and install it as well.

Re: Lee bullet feeder binding?

Posted: 03 Jul 2020 04:22
by Ranch Dog
Crash40SW wrote:The spring is shown in the image above, but on mine it's a tiny little pen spring in a hole that has almost no compression strength at all. A few places still have them, so I'm going to pick one up and install it as well.
I've not seen the small pen spring that you mention. Any chance of getting a picture of it. I added the current spring to all of mine.

Re: Lee bullet feeder binding?

Posted: 08 Jul 2020 17:43
by Crash40SW
20200708_163541.jpg
there ya go.

Re: Lee bullet feeder binding?

Posted: 09 Jul 2020 04:24
by Ranch Dog
Never seen that, and I have some old bullet feeders. A mod?

Re: Lee bullet feeder binding?

Posted: 09 Jul 2020 09:27
by larryw
Ranch Dog wrote:Never seen that, and I have some old bullet feeders. A mod?
I haven't either, not even with the 2 brand new ones I have ?


+1 +corn

Re: Lee bullet feeder binding?

Posted: 09 Jul 2020 13:49
by Crash40SW
nope. Not a mod. This was brand new out of the box from Midway when I bought it in March.
It also has guides down the side for adding in stops for the feed fingers (which they dont make - yet?)

I'm finding Lee has a habit of making small incremental changes to some things, and they gradually filter into the distribution channels, and they dont change the model numbers or give newer versions anything unique to identify them, so it's hit or miss if you end up with a v1, v2, v3, v4, etc..