Impala Forums banner

Clicking sound coming from distributor?

10K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  dintymoore 
#1 ·
Hey, I have a 1976 Impala with a 350. I recently took it to the shop to have the kick down cable replaced. When I drove it home and to work the next day it ran perfect. I was pulling out of the garage the other day and heard a clicking that's constant. I thought it was a belt but it sounds like it's coming from the distributor? Anyone know what it could be? Thanks.
 
#2 ·
There's a lot of things that can make a ticking sound, like a bad speedometer cable, a leaking exhaust manifold, an engine valve, a homemade bomb...

I'd try to narrow it down, like:
Does it go happen when you're driving as well as just sitting idling?
Does it speed up when you rev the engine?
And if you're driving and then put the car in neutral does it change?

If it happens when you're idling, you can use a few feet of heater hose as a stethoscope to try to find out where it's coming from.
 
#3 ·
It starts ticking as soon as it starts up, and as I accelerate, it accelerates as well. The ticking is pretty consistent with the speed of the car. When it's idling or in neutral it still ticks rythmically, and when I start driving it continues to tick rhthmically, if I drive faster the ticking gets faster and so on. Any idea what it could be?
 
#4 ·
Pull the cap and look at the bottom of the rotor bug. I changed out the distributor harness and ignition module on my 77 a few years back and had the screw that holds the capacitor down touching the bottom of the rotor bug and made a similar noise. You should see something that is not in its original place.
 
#5 ·
You should be able to feel it if it's in the dist. Just grab around the cap while it's running. Check under the hood when it's dark and see if there are any plug wires arching also.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top