On my 89 Hatch EA81, the distributor vibrates and makes an audible wirring sound on cold mornings. It only happens when the engine is stone cold, and of course the tach dances around when this happens. It stops after a few minutes too. I have a good used one coming so I may not worry about it at all, but I thought about oiling it with some nice low-temp thin oil to help it out. I reckon the bushings and shaft are either gunked up with old oil and that is sticky when cold, or the bushings and/or shaft is worn and the play is making it grab and chatter when it turns. Is there a way to get oil in there? to the shaft and bushings? Either way, I'll probably just toss it in the back for a spare when I get the other one.

Bushings are shot. They are not user replaceable, and must be done by a properly equipped machine shop. Be very careful that the reluctor doesn't strike the hall effect sensor and chip it or you'll have 2 pounds of worthless scrap on your hands.

 

These guys do all mine:

 

http://www.philbingroup.com/

 

GD

Thanks

The funny thing is that there is no side play in the shaft! Oh well.

Is it an ND unit? It doesn't take much on those. Once you have the disty out, you'll probably notice maybe 1/32" of play. That's all it takes. Pretty funny when my 84 digi-dash was reading 7000 RPM at idle

 

GD

Yup, it's an ND.

 

I looked at the website you posted, and it looks like they are mostly an electric motor repairer. I wonder if I can take it to an electric motor shop around here to replace the bushings???

Yup, it's an ND.

 

I looked at the website you posted, and it looks like they are mostly an electric motor repairer. I wonder if I can take it to an electric motor shop around here to replace the bushings???

 

The guy at CCR that used to do the bushings (they don't do disty's anymore) said he ruined about a dozen before he got good at doing the bushings. Apparently if they aren't reemed out perfectly straight, the new bushings will fail real quick..... I wouldn't trust a place that's never done it before. Philbin does a LOT of distributors for shops around here - they just happen to also do electric motors and such too.

 

GD