Couple of weeks ago, I gave the old girl a tune-up. Oil-change, valve adjustment, fresh points, plugs, etc. No problems.

But this past week, I began to hear a new noise -- a squeak. Not the standard whistling, clattering Type IV noise, but a squeak. It seems most prominent at idle. I removed the fan belt with no change, so I know it's not the alternator.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Constant Whine?
Squeak squeak squeak?
Howl?

Kyle

You mention a tune-up !!

maybe distributor ??

vacuum leak Dave?

strange.. just recently, i noticed a same sort of noise.. checked belt and vacuum...

strange little chirp...

I know these terms are subjective and difficult to convey, but not really a whine and not a howl. Similar in pitch to a squeaky hinge on your screen door. But constant, not intermittent.

I just took off the cap and rotor. The felt wick was dry inside the shaft. I added a few drops of motor oil. Still squeaky. Maybe I should pull the distributor and bench check?

I can't rule that out, George, but I don't THINK so. The car doesn't run any differently. It idles OK, and has good throttle response. I'd expect a vacuum leak to sound more like a whistle anyway? Hoses are all new, rubber elbow is new, good oring on the oil filler.

It's not that alternator again, is it?

use a pc of fat hose as a scope. place one end up to your ear and probe near the dizzy with the other end. search till you can tell us teh general vicinity of the noises point of origin. dry sounding squeeks or chirps are typically mechanical interferences. is the sound rythmic to the engines rpm?

That's the first thing I thought of, Todd, but no joy. Running without the alternator belt has no effect on the squeaky-squeak.

These little LJet buggers are finicky. Maybe just needs a little more attention or some food.

I'll try the hose trick, Sean. The sound is constant, no periodicity.

That's hilarious. Need more kibbles.

Indeed. New meaning for the acronym HP.

Did you remember to put the oil back in? (OK... going back to being useless elsewhere... big box coming your way though)

And Drums is the winner! (With a second-place finish to Sean.) The points cam inside the distribulator was dry. It had worn down the phenolic rubbing block on the points. In the last 2 weeks, the points gap had changed from .016" to .012".

I wiped a light coating of grease on the points cam, reset the gap, and no more squeaky-squeaky.

Thanks, everybody.

Points used to come with a little plastic bag of grease that you were supposed to wipe on the front side of the point rubbing block so it would stay lubed. If you just put lube on the cam it will wipe off but a little will still get on the block so that is better than nothing.