Tapping from distributor?

[matt_vaughan]

I'm sure this has been answered before....however the search returned an enormous amount of results.....

My carbed 1.2 has a tapping sound coming from the distributor area....I've had the cap off, the points were quite caked up, but even after cleaning the tapping is still there....

Anyone know anything about this?

Could the dizzy be knackered?

Sounds a bit like something's running loose.

[tom_beverley]

Like you say its probably a worn dizzy, as long as the car is running ok it will be ok [just noisy!]

Unfortunately with the dizzy being at the top of the engine its one of the last components to get oil and especially when approaching high miles do tend to become noisy.

The tapping nose could also be caused by worn tappets in the top of the cylinder head.

In both cases the only solution is to renew said parts.

[meritlover]

the adv weights and the springs will be worn, so will the sleeve on the adv/ret mechanism. the distributor drive its self is oiled with a scroll seal, but the adv/ret is on a dry bush. when you try and rotate the rotor back and forward youl hear a dry clicking/squeek and some play.
it will do no harm, but after a while you will start to eat caps and rotors.
if you look in the cap, theres a groove that the lip on the cap should run on to stop the spart from tracking across from the button to the plug posts, this will probably look worn as if its been rubbing, sure sign that the distributor is worn and sad.

[mowgli]

the advance weights & their mounting pins wear badly in a delco (black) distributor. it used to be a common thing for the weights to fly out, severing the cap. try & find a better one, or see if anyone still does a service exchange.

[matt_vaughan]

It's had the problem since we got the car, doesn't really bother me just very noisy....

Im coming to the conclusion the car has been clocked, as it says ~23,000 on clock (i think not).........

[meritlover]

.....or its been 123,000 miles and been right over the clock perhaps?? :roll:

thats what you get for beliveing an odometer on a circa 20 year old car lol lol lol

[matt_vaughan]

Nah the previous owner was the daughter of the original owner, and her husband assured us that the milage was genuine lmfao

[meritlover]

oh well if he assured you then it MUST be genuine lol

[matt_vaughan]

Shady bloke, could tell by the Ford parked in the drive behind :P