I have an '89 Accord lxi. In the last three months I have had the distributor rotor twice. What would cause this one particular thing to fail? Granted, the part itself is only four dollars, but its to ordeal of having it replaced that is frustrating. Any ideas?

 

Are you using Honda or aftermarket parts? Be sure the set screw is in there and tight, also be sure the distributor cap is ok too.
What was wrong with the rotor that it needed to be replaced those 2 times?

 

To the best of my knowledge they are after market parts, ac delco. The first time it happened, we replaced the distributor cap and rotor, and the ignition coil wire. The rotor is burning through the contact on the back side.

 

The ignition system is allowing the spark energy to find an easier path to ground thru the rotor, rather than thru the Spark Plug Cables.
It's either a deficiency on the part of the Rotor's material, or something else is at play here. (excessive plug gap, etc)
I'd throw an OEM Honda Rotor in there; and at the same time make sure that the distributor is properly ventilated. Excessive ozone buildup can effect the plastic.
I'd also keep a jaundiced eye on the Ignitor Module. It sometimes suffers colatteral damage when a rotor burns thru and those 40,000 volts find a new path to ground.

P