Hey all,

I have a 1990 Honda Civic LX with the stock 1.5. For a while the car seemed to sputter at times. I took the dizzy cap off, and the rotor button was broke where the screw head holds it in place. This caused the dizzy cap's contact points to wear down badly. I replaced the rotor button, and the dizzy cap with new. After doing so I noticed the dizzy was noisy, and loud. I figured it might just have to wear down the contacts since they were new. A week later still the same noise I pulled my dizzy cap off. The rotor button was loose this time. I read that the bearings can go bad in the dizzy and can cause the noise I'm hearing. I have a parts car, and I took the dizzy off that car. Use my rotor button and new cap, and the noise is still there. (I'm not sure if it's as loud, but it's there) I've thought of adding some locktite to the rotor button screw, and to monitor it after another week or 2 to see if it's coming out or not. However I wanted to see if there could be anything I'm over looking. The dizzy I replaced it with is OEM, but does have 150x miles on it. So I guess it could be bad as well.

Thoughts? Anyone?

Thanks,
Jeremy

 

After further reading I read that when the bearings to bad a red dust appears. My current car has red dust under the distributor, and on the block by the exhaust manifold. The parts car wasn't too bad, but did have some under the dizzy itself.

Can anyone confirm anything in this thread for me?

Thanks,
Jeremy

 

There isn't anything that should be causing it to sound like that. The "red dust" scenario isn't always there to be a sign. It sounds like you just are really unlucky and have two distributors with bad bearings.

 

Probably bad bearings as well. Keep in mind these cars are all over 20 years old. Most are running the original or a remanufactured original distributor.

 

Got ya. I have a dizzy on order.

Thanks!

 

i didnt have the red dust but my bearings were bad. http://youtu.be/F-QvSkm0W9A

 

Good lord. Mine sounded nothing like that. But I heard my rotor button claning into the dizzy cap. (so that's what it sounded like at least) Let's hope the new one corrects my issue and it's nothing in the head!

 

Well guys. My new dizzy was put on, and the same noise was there. After hearing the noise in the video above I did hear this exact noise the first time the car failed me. It was when I was constantly cranking on the motor trying to start it. Every few seconds I heard it. I didn't think much of it, but at the time I thought I had some major issues. I didn't think of it until I listened to the video above.

Perhaps the ticking I'm hearing is normal? I've listened to this so much I feel my opinion doesn't even count.

I uploaded 3 videos of the noise I'm hearing.


Brand new dizzy, and the grinding noise is very distinct.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw_mGV0sX68



Brand new dizzy, and I reved the motor. Shortly after the noise seems to have quit, or at least didn't get so loud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNnhspRtMVs



Last video is of my 2nd replacement (used) dizzy. The motor sounds pretty good here, and I don't hear the ticking at all now? WTF? I'm guessing if this is not normal perhaps my timing belt is stretched and isn't applying even pressure to the cam gear?

http://youtu.be/w-0YFRgRvfA

Thoughts, anyone???

 

Sounds like ****! :/

And the cam is bolted down so your theory of even pressure is out the window. Sorry.

Are you sure the noise is coming from the distributor? The entire motor sounds rough to me. When's the last time the valves were adjusted?

 

this

 

Yes. I can clearly hear what sounds to be the rotor button clanging into the contact points on the dizzy cap.

I have never adjusted the valves. Only only changes every 3000 miles. The motor has roughly 130 K.