Clicking Sound From Distributor Drive On 1.9 Engine

[peakrevs 0]

SRD have just built me a very torquey trials 1.9 engine and I asked H & H to recondition a Bosch distributor to fit to it. This they did and it all looked very nice. However, when fitted to the engine there was a loud clicking sound like tappets coming from the coupling housing on the distributor. On fitting my old distributor from my 1.6 engine the noise disappeared so it would appear to be a distributor problem rather than an engine one.

 

So, I contacted H & H and they asked me to return the distributor to them to be checked. They could find nothing wrong but completely rebuilt it just to be sure. Upon refitting it made the same noise. So I returned both this distributor and the one from my 1.6 which did not make the noise for comparison. They could find no difference so they suggested that they rebuild the 1.6 didtributor to 1.9 spec which they have done. I have just refitted the rebuilt 1.6 distributor to the engine and, blow me, that's making the same clicking sound as the other one.

 

I have nothing but praise for H & H who have done their best to sort out this problem.

 

I just wondered if anyone here has come across this. I do believe it is to do with the mating of the drive dogs and certainly that seems to be where the noise is coming from.

 

John

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

Could the click be arcing/cracking? Does it spin freely off the car when turned by hand?

[peakrevs 0]

Could the click be arcing/cracking? Does it spin freely off the car when turned by hand?

 

 

Thank you for your reply. No it definitely isn't arcing it is a mechanical sound and I'm almost 100% sure that it is coming from the drive housing where the two dogs mesh. H & H have thoroughly tested the distributors and are happy that there is no fault so all in all a bit of a mystery. I'm going to run it and see what happens.

[205007 12]

Have you changed the cap and rotor arm? if they are mismatched then I have experienced this type of noise from an oversized rotor arm (we are talking mm here) eating into the cap and making a horrendous racket

 

car ran perfect though!

[peakrevs 0]

Have you changed the cap and rotor arm? if they are mismatched then I have experienced this type of noise from an oversized rotor arm (we are talking mm here) eating into the cap and making a horrendous racket

 

car ran perfect though!

 

Thank you for that, a good point. However, the distributor from my 1.6 with its cap did not make the clicking sound until it had been rebuilt to 1.9 spec. It is still running its original cap, which shows no sign of distress and it is now making the clicking noise. The noise itself does appear to be coming from the drive dog area.

 

I'm going to run it and see if anything develops or hopefully the noise goes away.

 

Thank you for you interest and input.

 

John