[Dano523]

Got to make sure that the primer in the channel on top of the primer ram, does not have the top of primer level with the bottom of hook, or your going to snap off the hook if primer does not seat, and trying pull back primer loaded in hook.

As for chute entry into side of primer assembly, need to clean up the ID edges, so the primer bottom rim does not catch the burs. Also, chute is not centered on opening via bottom bolt, until you can leave the ram forward with lever down, pull a primer about 3" up the chute, let it free drop to hit the side of the ram, and should bounce back into the chute a few inches.

Myself, hate the new solid hooks, since you get a piece of shot on the primer ram, holds the primer up slightly, have a problem where the primer is left in the assembly, and will snap the hook every time. on the wire feeders (really primer returner puller, since first machines did not even have the hook or springs) you do end up with a jam as the primer feed ram is trying pull a primer back to the chute, it gets bent, you bend it back to shape, and not waiting for PW to send you another solid primer feed (return really) ram. Truth is, the solid ones that I have snapped the hook end off of, just drill then, bend up a paper clip to make a new primer hook, and all is right with the world again.

Chute in primer assembly, make sure that the bottom of chute primer surface to primer side bottom surface is level via file. Again, primer need to be able to slip to hook, and as the hook moves forward with primer in tow, side of the feed ram will push the next primer back slightly (don't want the primer bottom surface to catch as it pushing the primers slightly back up the chute.

As for this (the Primer feed ram) all kinds of wrong.
Handle down on the lever, then using a crescent wrench closed down tight against the protruding plate surfaces on the protruding part of the cam plate to bend the cam plate bolted to the cross plate at its L section so it's parallel with the side of the primer assembly. Now loosen the cam plate screws to cross plate and set the cam plate so it has a slight gap between the ID of the roller to side of primer assembly, so as the cam plate roller is working down the cam plate, it hold the roller slightly gaped, but the same distant off the side of the primer assembly. Also a good time to check the right hand side slot for the roller bolt sleeve, so the sleeve is not binding on the assembly slot opening for it.

And the last one, the less grease you using on the primer assembly, the less it going to collect fouling. Not sure if you have pull the primer punch in the assembly, but will bank that it packed with crap under the button head of the ram.
Note here, its not the side allen bolt that hold the ram in place that is used to adjust final compression height of the ram, but a small allen bolt (blue loctite in place) up the channel of the height adjustment bolt (with jam nut) to bottom of ram, the sets the height of the ram in the assembly itself. Depending on the generation of primer assembly, with the lower assembly right against upper section (spring compressed), can vary from just slightly above the primer assembly track lips on say a B machine, to a lot more on the later Bronze primer assemblies.

So general rule, looking for about this much protrusion of the primer ram above the top assembly, with upper and lower primer sections compressed against each other, and again, this height is set via the 10-32 x1 jam allen bolt up the center threaded channel against the bottom of primer ram bottom, then side bolt to just hold the ram lower section to the side of the primer ram shaft at that section.

#143 is in all gens of the primer assemblies, and again, used to set the primer ram height in assembly, with 140 to just hold the lower assembly to the primer ram (148).

Got to make sure that the primer in the channel on top of the primer ram, does not have the top of primer level with the bottom of hook, or your going to snap off the hook if primer does not seat, and trying pull back primer loaded in hook.

As for chute entry into side of primer assembly, need to clean up the ID edges, so the primer bottom rim does not catch the burs. Also, chute is not centered on opening via bottom bolt, until you can leave the ram forward with lever down, pull a primer about 3" up the chute, let it free drop to hit the side of the ram, and should bounce back into the chute a few inches.

Myself, hate the new solid hooks, since you get a piece of shot on the primer ram, holds the primer up slightly, have a problem where the primer is left in the assembly, and will snap the hook every time. on the wire feeders (really primer returner puller, since first machines did not even have the hook or springs) you do end up with a jam as the primer feed ram is trying pull a primer back to the chute, it gets bent, you bend it back to shape, and not waiting for PW to send you another solid primer feed (return really) ram. Truth is, the solid ones that I have snapped the hook end off of, just drill then, bend up a paper clip to make a new primer hook, and all is right with the world again.

Chute in primer assembly, make sure that the bottom of chute primer surface to primer side bottom surface is level via file. Again, primer need to be able to slip to hook, and as the hook moves forward with primer in tow, side of the feed ram will push the next primer back slightly (don't want the primer bottom surface to catch as it pushing the primers slightly back up the chute.

As for this (the Primer feed ram) all kinds of wrong.
Handle down on the lever, then using a crescent wrench closed down tight against the protruding plate surfaces on the protruding part of the cam plate to bend the cam plate bolted to the cross plate at its L section so it's parallel with the side of the primer assembly. Now loosen the cam plate screws to cross plate and set the cam plate so it has a slight gap between the ID of the roller to side of primer assembly, so as the cam plate roller is working down the cam plate, it hold the roller slightly gaped, but the same distant off the side of the primer assembly. Also a good time to check the right hand side slot for the roller bolt sleeve, so the sleeve is not binding on the assembly slot opening for it.

And the last one, the less grease you using on the primer assembly, the less it going to collect fouling. Not sure if you have pull the primer punch in the assembly, but will bank that it packed with crap under the button head of the ram.
Note here, its not the side allen bolt that hold the ram in place that is used to adjust final compression height of the ram, but a small allen bolt (blue loctite in place) up the channel of the height adjustment bolt (with jam nut) to bottom of ram, the sets the height of the ram in the assembly itself. Depending on the generation of primer assembly, with the lower assembly right against upper section (spring compressed), can vary from just slightly above the primer assembly track lips on say a B machine, to a lot more on the later Bronze primer assemblies.

So general rule, looking for about this much protrusion of the primer ram above the top assembly, with upper and lower primer sections compressed against each other, and again, this height is set via the 10-32 x1 jam allen bolt up the center threaded channel against the bottom of primer ram bottom, then side bolt to just hold the ram lower section to the side of the primer ram shaft at that section.

#143 is in all gens of the primer assemblies, and again, used to set the primer ram height in assembly, with 140 to just hold the lower assembly to the primer ram (148).
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[Dano523]

 

[Dano523]

As for primer tray to chute, tray will always have burs on the edge there, so file to remove the burs so primer is not catch the burs as primer fall/ angle down from the tray edge to chute side lips on the drop to chute.

To set the primer tray, loosen the two back bracket bolt to the top plate, use a level with machine bolted to bench, and get the back of chute as high, and level across the back edge as the bolts are being re-tightened (where the small bubble level comes in)

Now its just a matter of tweaking the top of chute protrudiing upwareds side lips slightly outwards, so as the primer angle rolls off the tray to chute edge, primer does not angle bind on the drop between the edge of tray, and into the chute.

As for chute, trick here is you are tying to keep is as clean and as slick as possible. Wax works, but myself since will do a quick cleaning about every 10 flats (including the top end such as bushing carrier and such), just put a drop of light gun oil on the tray surface, and use a clean patch to wipe it in/off, to keep the chute surface clean and slick.

 

[Dano523]

To add here, the primer assembly cam does not have the primer feed ramp coming far enough back in the slot.

With the cam plate bent to get it parallel with side of primer assembly, will bring the feed ram back the needed distance, so the primer being feed to the hook, does not bind on the way in.

On some older machine, may have to add washers between the cam to cross plate, so the cam plate is bring back the feed ram via roller, the needed distance instead.

 

[luddite20]

To add here, the primer assembly cam does not have the primer feed ramp coming far enough back in the slot.

With the cam plate bent to get it parallel with side of primer assembly, will bring the feed ram back the needed distance, so the primer being feed to the hook, does not bind on the way in.

On some older machine, may have to add washers between the cam to cross plate, so the cam plate is bring back the feed ram via roller, the needed distance instead.

Dano, I can't thank you enough for this help. For some reason, the photos you provided seem to be out of sync with the text I see but it might be some browser issue.

The helpful photo of the ideal primer ram height is very helpful, and I can see that my primer seating ram protrudes higher than this, and I can't seem to get it much lower (even after taking apart the lower primer seating post and actually removing the long set screw in the shaft of the post. Seems like the seating post was already bottomed out somehow. Or likely I don't fully understand the seating post mechanism. I mean I'm sure I don't have a good understanding of it.

But I'm hoping to do a semi tear down, so I can really understand the machine. Force myself to learn and study it.

For example, is there a factory setting for the distance the 10-32 screw/nut extends below the hull seating post, primer seating post, and stop post? That seems like it would be nice to know, and I could measure with calipers? I guess that and factory setting for the 2 set screws in the lower primer seating post (both the one that connects the lower post to the seating ram and the one along it's shaft that seems to be a stop for the seating ram itself).

Again, thanks for your help and for any additional wisdom you might be able to share. I've found lots of your help and suggestions in the archives but I can't find any specific to the 900 at least in terms of tune up from start to scratch as I've seen you do with the 800 models. I'm sure it takes a ton of time to write those, but man they are full of rich and helpful information.