When my 97 Nissan Quest V6 reaches above 2200 RPM I start hearing knocking noises inside the destributor. I removed the distributor cap and the rotor looks ok, removed the plate that covers the inductive pickup and all looked fine there too. Must be the distributor bearing? Engine runs fine when this occurs. Is there anything tricky about replacing the distributor on this model car? Is there any way I can lub the bearing?
There is nothing tricky about it but care should be used to set the base timing correctly after installing another dist. There is no way of lubing dist. bushings or bearings.
That being said, it would be highly unusual for a distributor to make any knocking sounds due to a bushing or bearing. A problem in the dist. driven gear or drive gear, maybe.
Are you sure the dist. is knocking or could this knocking be something else (valve adjuster, etc.) that is echoing through the dist.?
This is the procedure I used to determine where the noise was coming from. With the hood opened and the engine in neutral, I increased the throttle speed under the hood while I listened with a piece of heater hose. When I put the heater hose on top of the distributor cap the noise increased alot. Couldn’t really hear the noise anywhere else. If it was the distributor gear wouldn’t it make the noise at idle also?