dying distributor?

[85glsw]

4wd '85 1.8, GL SW

 

I hear a clicking noise from my side of the car when I accelerate, like a spark plug wire loose on the block.

 

When I listen to the distributor with a stick, something is knocking. It doesn't sound smooth.

 

The cap is fouled. I replaced it about a month ago, with the rotor and the plugs.

 

Bad distributor?

 

By the way, have timing fully advanced due to altitude (8400 feet).

 

Swap the distributor for another (2wd if I can find it)?

 

Any tips on getting the distributor back in the right splines? It's been a few years since I've done this.

 

Any help grately appreciated.

[idosubaru]

when removing/reinstalling, just make sure the engine doesn't move while it's out and make sure the rotor is pointing to the exact same position after install as it was before you removed it. take a picture, use paint, a marker, memory if you trust it...etc.

 

"the cap is fouled", what does that mean exactly?

 

as the bushings/bearings go out the distributor can have some play in it or the bearings will just be bad. if you can move the rotor much axially by hand or the bearings feel rough/noisey then you know it's the bearings. they can be replaced i believe, but probably just as easy to find a used one. i'd want a spare before disassembling the disty anyway.

[85glsw]

Maybe it moves very slightly from side to side in one direction. In turning it (axially), there's 3/8" play. So it sounds like the bearings are going, like you said. No?

 

Thanks for your help.

[mikeshoup]

You really shouldn't have any detectable play in the distributor shaft. Replace it, or send it in to be rebuilt.

 

Swap the distributor for another (2wd if I can find it)?

2WD or 4WD make no difference. Same advance curve. Stick with the kind you have so you don't have to swap coil or ignitors or anything.

[85glsw]

Actually, with the rotor on, it's about 3/4 inch play axially.

 

As for sticking with the same distrib, I'll follow the advice, but I thought that the 2wd distribs were stronger, or had more advance or something.

[86BRATMAN]

Thats an old folk lore floating around for ea81 disty's. No true to it. No idea on ea82's however.

[Gloyale]

Actually, with the rotor on, it's about 3/4 inch play axially.

 

 

Okay, we need to clarify. You're talking about with the distributor on the car, Cap off, you are twisting the rotor and it being able to rotate about 3/4 inch? This would actaully be a test of the gear lash. And not really even because of the advance plate in the base providing some rotation.

 

To get a feel on the bearings, you need to remove the Distributor. Mark where the rotor points to on the distributor body with a paint pen, white out, something. Just don't crank over the engine while it's out.

 

Once it's out feel whether the rotor shaft turns smooth. Does it have any movement? Really shouldn't have any. It might be wise to take it apart abit and remove the pickup to get a look at the mechanical advance weights and springs. Maybe a weight is slinging around in there making the noise?

 

What type of fuel system does this car have? Carb or MPFI? If it is 2wd Carb, It will have a NipponDenso Distributor.

[85glsw]

Thats an old folk lore floating around for ea81 disty's. No true to it. No idea on ea82's however.

 

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[85glsw]

It's a 4wd carburated. I just bought the rotor for the Hitachi. Two wires come out of the disty.

 

I haven't pulled the distributor yet. Thanks for the heads up on how to investigate. That was needed education.

 

But check this out:

 

The rotor which I got a few weeks ago was too loose. I got it at Checkered. I replaced it with one from NAPA, which is tighter. Both marked made in USA (ha, ha). the Napa one is tan. The other one is a off white.

 

That helps. But I still have that clicking under load, from the driver's side.

 

I checked the junk yard today. The only one that seems a match seems to have the same problem: lots of play and a fouled cap.

 

Question:

Do you know if the slightly later model ones with 4 wires would work?

 

Someone told me that the Beck-Arnley distributors are beefier. But I got some price shock at the NAPA counter for a rebuilt one.

 

Guess I'd best figure out if it's broken before I pull out my wallet. Got the wife's nail paint. I'm ready to go.

[john in KY]

I've been told a timing belt on the verge of breaking will cause the sound you described.

[mikeshoup]

Question:

Do you know if the slightly later model ones with 4 wires would work?

If its the 4 wire ones I'm thinking of, no. They are for the SPFI cars only.

 

Someone told me that the Beck-Arnley distributors are beefier. But I got some price shock at the NAPA counter for a rebuilt one.

Beck Arnley doesn't actually make anything themselves. Just repackage them. Its probably a rebuilt Hitachi.

 

Guess I'd best figure out if it's broken before I pull out my wallet. Got the wife's nail paint. I'm ready to go.

Pull the disty and check the play like Gloyale said.

[85glsw]

The drunken son of a great mechanic who had one of these said "timing belt" when he listened to the disty with a stick.

 

The belts have less than 10k, I was told, but the bolts on the passenger side cover were broken, and there's a piece exposed, and I drive a lot of dirt roads. Yipes.

[Gloyale]

Lots of people drive these cars with no covers at all, so I don't think that's a problem. You're belts are fine if they are only 10,000 miles old.

 

Besides there's no way the timing belt can cause clicking inside the distributor. For the 3rd time quit guessing and consulting druken medicine men with sticks. Pull the damn distributor, and open it up and inspect it. There is no "crystal ball", and also no perfect"if/then" answer.

 

We've all told you how to inspect the distributor, take it out and see if it turns smooth and has no play. Look at the weights underneath and make sure they are still properly installed.

 

Otherwise, if the car is running fine, and the noise is not frightenengly loud or scary, just keep driving. You'll find out just as much that way as you will with sticks and booze.

 

 

Is it possible that the noise you are hearing is not from the disty? Perhaps TOD on the #4 cylinder?

[85glsw]

Lots of people drive these cars with no covers at all, so I don't think that's a problem. You're belts are fine if they are only 10,000 miles old.

 

Besides there's no way the timing belt can cause clicking inside the distributor. For the 3rd time quit guessing and consulting druken medicine men with sticks. Pull the damn distributor, and open it up and inspect it. There is no "crystal ball", and also no perfect"if/then" answer.

 

We've all told you how to inspect the distributor, take it out and see if it turns smooth and has no play. Look at the weights underneath and make sure they are still properly installed.

 

Otherwise, if the car is running fine, and the noise is not frightenengly loud or scary, just keep driving. You'll find out just as much that way as you will with sticks and booze.

 

 

Is it possible that the noise you are hearing is not from the disty? Perhaps TOD on the #4 cylinder?

 

 

Thanks. Just for the record, I'm not the one who is boozing.

 

Also, listening with a stick or a bar allows you to isolate the noise, no?

 

 

I haven't had time to pull the disty, because I have other problems with the car (i.e. CV joint boots mysteriously ripping), and I have a lot of other things on my plate at the moment, some of which are even more pressing than this car exploding.

[85glsw]

TOD? Sorry, I can't figure out what that is. (Top___ dead?)

[86BRATMAN]

Tick of death. And by no means a litteral interpretation of whats going on when it happens. The hla's(hydraulic lash adjusters) on the rocker arms sometimes get oil starved and tick, think manual valve adjusters too loose.

[Gloyale]

Thanks. Just for the record, I'm not the one who is boozing.

 

 

I know, it was all in joking I hope you realize. And using a metal bar(stick won't work well) as a sort of stethoscope is good. But it is an art not a science. Sometimes it's possible to think that you have isolated it but you haven't. If you really want to use this method you need a long metal rod, or a long screw driver, but something with about a 3/8 -1/2 shaft. What I use is a 2 foot, heavy duty, big flathead screwdriver. I busted the top part of the handle off to expose the end of the metal shaft inside, but leaving half of the handle to hold(helps keep you're hand from dampening the sound). The key is you really need to get the end of the bar into you're ear, so it's almost a bit inside you're ear like a plug. Then you can really hear JUST what the metal is reverberating. this can be really dangerous on a running engine, make sure the rod is not going to slip and catch a belt/pulley/whatever

 

TOD is the valvetrain ticking. Caused by low lifter pressure or air bubbles in the HLA's. Not really that big of an issue. But it is often misdiagnosed as other issues.

[ZRX Doug]

For the record, timing belts that croak at 10,000 miles aren't exactly uncommon, assuming there are contributing factors (leaky cam seals, for instance).

 

I'm sorta curious what ya find. I've had the same noise for most of the summer, sounds almost like a stone in the L/F tire tread, or an exhaust manifold gasket tick, but it's intermittant..since it doesn't seem to affect performance, I tend to ignore stuff like this..once the car blows up and I'm FORCED to fix it, I will..what can I say, my Soob's a beater and lives a sad and abused life.

[85glsw]

For the record, timing belts that croak at 10,000 miles aren't exactly uncommon, assuming there are contributing factors (leaky cam seals, for instance).

 

I'm sorta curious what ya find. I've had the same noise for most of the summer, sounds almost like a stone in the L/F tire tread, or an exhaust manifold gasket tick, but it's intermittant..since it doesn't seem to affect performance, I tend to ignore stuff like this..once the car blows up and I'm FORCED to fix it, I will..what can I say, my Soob's a beater and lives a sad and abused life.

 

Exactly. Like a stone in the left front tire tread, when the motor is under load.

 

I have so many things piled up at this point, it might be a few days until I can get to it.

[daeron]

Pre-detonation or pinging?? have you ever tried running a few gallons of high octane into the tank when it was low, to see if it ran better or different at all? MOST of us get away with low test, but it could be indicative of a different problem, especially if there seems to be an accompanying power loss.

[85glsw]

Daeron, the sound is nothing like a ping. It's like a stone in the left front tread, under load.

 

So, I just pulled the disty. Beautiful. No play. Spins smoothly. Electrical connections look tight.

 

Listened to it, this time with a long metal bar. I guess this is stupid on a disty, unless the bearings are really bad, because you just hear a more distant version of what you would hear listening to the valve cover.

 

On the disty cap, it's fouled to one side of the contacts, and not in the middle. Could this be indicative? (I didn't advance the timing quite as much this time. But don't ask me for numbers.)

 

I'll put in some fuel additive, maybe even invest in a few gallons of hi-test when the tank is low to test your pre-ignition idea.

 

Next, on THIS problem, I guess would be to replace the timing belts, which only costs about $22 before tax, not including the hot sun tax. Or maybe I'm missing something?

[misledxcracker]

Maybe the timing belts are a tad too loose and the cam jumped a tooth?

 

For me, open covers + Arizona dirt roads with assorted rocks = cracked windshield, but no timing belt issues.

 

When the timing is advanced, are'nt you supposed to use high test regardless, or it will ping? I personally have no idea, as I don't advance mine, but I've heard it before..

[85glsw]

Pre-detonation or pinging?? have you ever tried running a few gallons of high octane into the tank when it was low, to see if it ran better or different at all? MOST of us get away with low test, but it could be indicative of a different problem, especially if there seems to be an accompanying power loss.

 

Daeron, you got it. I added some walmart carb cleaner when I filled the tank with low octaine in another town, and no more noise. Cool! Thanks!

[daeron]

and that calls for a

 

thankee for the update, helps my "street cred" :cool:

[ZRX Doug]

Hmm..guess we don't have the same noise after all..mine occurs intermittantly under all driving conditions, actually seems to be most prevalent under decelleration..

I've got some time to screw around with it today, gonna experiment with a load of low-mileage used EFI parts, a multimeter and the FSM..