Todd00

There's a funky grinding/screeching noise coming from my cap & rotor area. It isn't consistent..it just happens every few seconds or so and sometimes it skips a few beats.

It sounds like something is rubbing or coming in contact with something, but I really can't tell too well. Any suggestions?

tonyxcom

My guess is the bearing in your dist is going out.

Todd00

Hmmm...that's a possibility. Wonder how long I have until it dies completely. It seems to have just started it last week and it's not getting any better.

hondafrk

your distributor is going out, Mine only lasted about 200 miles after I noticed the noise. Do not I repeat DO NOT get a distributor from anywhere other than HONDA!
Mine went out on a 650 mile trip to Wisconsin and I stopped at a Auto zone and bought one for 185 dollars and I changed it in the parking lot and It didnt work! I returned it and got my money back. I did however make it to my destination about 200 miles later with the bad distributor in. The car hardly ran and I couldnt rev past 3000 rpm. When I got to my dads I called up a local Honda dealership and got a honda reman dist for 95 bucks and It works perfect. Dont settle for anything less than OEM honda distributors. Hope this helps

Todd00

Going to make the trip to the honda dealership tomorrow Thanks for the info.

Any tips on changing the distributor or is it pretty much straight forward?

hondafrk

changing distributors is pretty simple. Just undo the wiring connectors at the dist and remove the three bolts holding it on to the head and pull. You can then take your distributor cap off (which will probably be filled with red dust inside) and remove your rotor, coil and ignitor. then just put the parts back together in the new distributor. You may want to get a new cap and rotor though. When you put the distributor back into the car, make sure you put a light coating of oil on the little oring on the shaft and make sure the slot on the dist shaft lines up with the slot in the cam and slide it back into place and finger tighten the bolts . Then go find yourself a timing light and adjust the ignition timing back to specs. You will need to jumper the small green connector under the glove box. I belive it is a orange and green wire and something else but you need to do this to get the timing right. once you have finished timing the engine, shut the engine off and remove the jumper and start your car up and let it idle for about 15 minutes to adjust to the new setting.
hope this helps. when your done have a

Todd00

hondafrk--you are the man! You described everything like it was and I had no problems buying the part or replacing it.

Did you take your old part back in and get any kind of credit or anything?

VTECVillain

I think this was a problem with the 92-95 Civic's. The distributor from my stock motor in my VX went out around 100K. This past weekend the one started grinding in my 93 DX with 97K. I took it completely apart and tried to see if I could get the bearing out - nooooo way! I ended up messing it up so I had to take the shaft from my old VX and put it back into the DX housing just to start the car so I could get it into my garage. Time for a new one.......

hondafrk

There is no core charge on the distributor so you will not get any type of credit. There will only be a core charge if you paid for a core charge. If you did it will be marked on your reciept, "core credit".
And in response to the last post, Distributors going out are a problem on all pre 95 hondas. I am a mechanic and I have changed distributors on more accords than civics.

kenji

Todd,

I think I have a CX distributor laying around. Email me for more info. Thanks.

-kenji

Todd00

Thanks Kenji, but I already went to the dealer and got a new one. I don't think my car would have made it too much farther the way it was.

I'll need to check out my 91 now and see how the distributor is on that.