I believe I need to replace my distributor. It is making a strange noise almost like a scratchy gurgling.

How much is it to replace this? I have heard as low as $34.00 (I suppose for replacing the internal parts as opposed to replacing the entire distributor) or up to $500.00 (..replacing the entire distributor).

I just want to make sure I dont get the wool pulled over my eyes when I go to get this fixed..I would be thankful for any advice, constructive comments, etc., etc.,

-Brian

EDIT: The car does turn over (with ease). Also, is this the cause of a loud rattling noise in low gears at higher rpms?

 

Bump. Hopefully someone can help me in the morning. Thanks.

 

any CEL's?.....

 

depending on the engine (assuming it is b series) a distributor can be anywhere from around $40 used to no more than $200 brand new. check your local salvage yards, you can probably find one cheap. here is a site to check junkyard's inventories www.car-part.com

 

just whatever u do DO NOT buy one from a honda dealership.....i called them to see how much a z6 dizzy was and they told me like 650.00 i laughed my *** off and hung up on them

 

Thanks for the prompt replies!

I will definitely look into the junkyards, however, are the chances of getting another bad distributor high?

Thanks for the info on not purchasing from Honda.

Once again, thanks for the replies!

-Brian

 

Hey man my distributor was doing the same thing. Just get some ZEP brand spray(comes in a black can with yellow writing) and take off the distributor cap and spray inside of their and let it sit overnight. I haven't heard a peep out of mine since I did it.

 

Sounds like a cheap alternative to replacing. I will definitely look into this. Thanks!

 

once its making noise, its likely the bushings are toast. check for "red dust" in the distributor cap

you can swap the ignitor and coil from your current one into a better condition dizzy housing.

 

Depending on the year and model of your integra, the price will vary. I just came across a 98' gsr distributor for $25 on my local craigslist. I see them on the market place from time to time as well.

As far as junkyards go, you will probably not have much luck because distributors are generally sold with the entire engine for a swap.

 

I work at a junkyard and we've got a whole shelf of them, as do most places. A lot of cars are junked with bad motors; so yes, there are lots of distributors to be sold.

 

Does it run funny? I've had a few distributor problems, but it was obvious. The one Integra, it would shut off sometimes while driving, and be hard to restart. Had to wait up to 15 min sometimes. Then the other one kept fouling up the cap/rotor. It would stutter during acceleration. I could replace the cap/rotor but it'd foul again after a few months. Also the first one gave me a CEL, I do believe.

 

Why are there no honda parts in maryland junkyards. Sigh. I called 4 or 5 different yards one day and got the same story. Usually sold with the swap and they dont have any in stock.

Do yards usually use compatibility view? So they can see if parts are compatible beween different years and models? Just curious.

 

If the bearing is bad and it hasn't gotten bad enough to destroy the CYP/CKP/TDC sensors yet you can replace the bearing, Honda goesn't sell it though, you'll have to get it from a bearing supply place (take the old one for a reference. They're made by Nachi.

 

Yeah you’re right about that, Honda parts at yards are getting rarer and rarer. Since I’ve been there we haven’t even had a GSR lol. Have had a few LS’s though, and they’re pretty hard to sell complete actually if they’re even good, so we sell what we can off them.
Definitely look at the site I posted above, car-part.com. The junkyard I’m at, along with most all (at least in my area) inventories go through it. The interchange isn’t too bad, like it knows that a 90-91 teg dizzy is different from a 92-93, but it doesn’t match it with any other gen even if you know it’s the same, like it wouldn’t match any 2nd gen teg part with anything from a 3rd gen.

 

I'll give it a look the next time I need something. Thanks for the info. Lately it seems that good honda parts at junkyards around here have become more valuable than gold.

To give you an idea of the kind of bullshit that goes on around here. I called a local yard a couple months back to see if they had a spindle for a 92 integra. The guy says yea they have one. I ask him to hold it he says he will. I get a call about 15mins later when I'm half way there from the yard. Some dude walked in and offered them $10.00 more than the listed price so they sold it to him. I said **** you, hung up, and came to terms with the fact that no one cares about customers anymore. Everyone just cares about that all might $. Rant/

OP, take the cap off of your distributor. If you see red dust its toast. Try to find a replacement and save the old one for parts. Sorry if someone already mentioned this.

 

Lol yes not to rant but I know what you mean.

A few months back I picked up 3 fat fives for twenty bucks, figured with a 4th i could make some cash. Needless to say, checked the inventory, a place about an hour away had 2 of them. So I run up there for them to tell me they had that car crushed the other day. Not only sad about a GSR getting crushed with good parts still on it, but also pissed about driving the whole way up there.

Oh well. OP, sorry to rant on your post. Any luck?

 

As of yet, no. I took it to a mechanic and he said that he doesn't think it's the distributor judging from the sound. He told me I may just need a valve adjustment and maybe replace my fan belt. Everything sounds good after the car is warmed up, purrs like a kitten. Thanks for all your help!

Brian

EDIT: Also, no CELs, nothing funny while driving except little squeaks when engine is cold during shifting. However, I did notice that it takes my car quite a while to "warm up". Any thoughts on this problem?

 

It may be valves in need of adjustment. LMA's may be on their way out. Hard to tell anything with out listening to it in person.

What year is your integra? I'm pretty sure they dont use fan belts. Should only be timing belt, alternator belt, power steering belt(if applicable), and ac belt(if applicable).

 

It's a 2001 Integra. The sound only occurs when the engine is first started (as in when it's cold). If it's particularly warm outside, then there is barely any sound and then goes away when warmed up. I know our engines run loud because a friend of mine had a gsr a while ago and it was loud even brand new. I probably will try getting the valves adjusted.

As far as the squeaking sound upon startup and when it's cold I am still unsure of what the problem is. It never occurs when the engine is warm. A mechanic suggested maybe I could need to tighten my timing belt..that it may be slipping when it's cold.

Thanks again for all your input.

Brian

EDIT: Sorry, I am not a mechanic but, what are LMA's?

 

The squeaking on startup is probably a belt. Either alternator, power steering, or ac. Its unusual for a timing belt to squeak. If the timing belt is slipping you should flat out replace it, not just tighten it. I would be much more inclined to believe its one of the 3 belts mentioned above though. All are little 4 rib belts that cost about $15 to $20 a piece.

If you get the valves adjusted who ever does it may want to charge a good bit for it. I believe dealerships charge around $400 or something like that. So just a heads up. Be prepared.

If you want to check the timing belt, take off the top timing belt cover so the belt is visible. It should have no more than 1/2 inch of deflection. Meaning that if you rotate it left to right or right to left it shouldnt move much more than 1/2 of an inch either way.

LMA is short for Lost Motion Assemblie. LMA's provide constant pressure to the rocker arm that the vtec lobe travels on. With out them the rocker arms would fling themselves around from the vibration of the engine. The LMA's just take up the slack basically. They help the rocker arms lock together when vtec engages and they allow the vtec lobe to ride on the rocker arm. They also help to balance out centrifical stress.

The nature of our motors is that they like to run loud. My gsr ticks a bit even though I just ran though all the valves a month ago and replaced the LMA's about 6 months ago. If its only on start up and its not very loud I wouldnt give it to much worry. I would also say it would not hurt to let someone that is QUALIFIED run through the valves for you. Just as piece of mind.

Best of luck with it.

 

Thanks a lot man. What you said about not worrying too much since it only makes noise on the startup gave me a bit more peace of mind. Appreciate it.

I went to a mechanic close to my house and he said he would charge $150.00 flat for the valve adjustment so, compared to Honda, I guess it's a pretty good deal. At the very least, I will do that while my fiance is at her bachelor party in Vegas this weekend and see how things sound.

Again, thanks everyone!

Brian

 

Good info.

 

Glad we were able to help you out. Thats what this forum is for. Congrats on getting married.

 

Thanks! Honda-Tech Integra Forum