1980 spider distributor noise

[sigkadetm]

Thought I was done with everything and this morning I started up my spider and I have a noise coming from my distributor. Maybe a bearing or gear??? What to check......Any comments would be appreciated.....

[RRoller123]

what kind of noise? clicking, banging? grinding? Check fit of cap, if it is off it could cause the rotor to just nick the pickup, for example.

[spider2081]

Its not uncommon for the screws holding the rotor in place to come loose and actually fall out. I would remove the distributor cap and look ASAP. I think its a good idea to replace these screws with new one and to use a star washer under the head of the screw.

[sigkadetm]

Well I checked all the screws and the cap but distributor still made noise. I sprayed a little wd-40 down the shaft and it quit immediately. So it looks like the bearing or bearings are starting to wear out. No grinding thank heavens........

[lglade]

Rebuilding the distributor is easier than you might think. One or more of our trusty vendors will sell you a kit with the seals, bearings, and O-rings to rebuild it. Do the vacuum advance while you're at it.

There are several videos online to show you how:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7_6_PsweOk