Volvo RWD 140-160 Forum

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Distributor rattle... 140-160 1974

While cleaning out the engine bay and admiring my newly installed P/S over the long weekend, I fired up the 144, and noticed that there seem to be a rattling noise coming out of the distributor, more noticeably on idle, but disappears on hinger rpms. Once the engine was warm, the sound vanished. It did the same thing few mornings ago, when the engine was cold. I had the distributor replaced with an electronic one from a 75 244 last year. I used to have the same problem on the old distributor, but did not bother to check on it as it never gave problems. Besides, the noise would sometimes go away whenever the cap is replaced.

Anyone encounter this before? The caps, rotor, plugs and wires are new.
--
...and the bricks keep on rolling








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    Distributor rattle... 140-160 1974

    It might be good to check both the relationship of the reluctor fingers and
    also rotational play in your distributor. If you get rattling on turning the
    rotor back and forth it indicates a worn advance mechanism under the plate
    or worn bushings on the shaft. At about 100K miles the distributor on my 164
    let go and the advance weights started plowing into the cast arn case, causing
    numerous stops in all the darkest areas of North Carolina one night/early
    morning. In the light of day. after we FINALLY made it home, I finally figured
    out what all that black dust that kept appearing in there was. It is on its
    3rd distributor now. (and pushing 300K)
    --
    George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!








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      Distributor rattle... 140-160 1974

      Thanks George. The clearance between the fingers are OK, and there is no shaft freeplay. No rattling turning the rotor back and forth either. No black dust (or smoke)...Not sure what's causing the noise. I'll try and change the cap. It used to "cure" the problem on the old distributor for a while before the sound came back. Did not cause any problems though.

      Quite surprised that your 164 is on its 3rd distributor. My original distributor hit 300K miles (and still works) until I changed it to the electronic one last year. As a precaution, it now resides in the toolbox in the trunk just in case the electronic one goes up in (black) smoke.
      --
      ...and the bricks keep on rolling







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