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HI ALL, I FINALLY GOT THE WEATHER, TIME AND A STHETOSCOPE TO RE-VISIT MY ENGINE NOISE. SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE LOWER LEFT SIDE, PASSANGER SIDE, CENTER OF THE ENGINE, THRU THE STETHOSCOPE SOUNDS LIKE A CLICKING. NO NOISE AT IDLE BUT AS YOU BUILD RPM'S THE NOISE STARTS, DOES NOT INCREASE IN VOLUME AS THE RPMS INCREASE. ITS NOT RYTHMIC BUT VARIES IN SOUND. COULD IT BE THE DIST DRIVE, IT SEEMS TO BE AROUND THAT AREA??
GOT GOOD OIL PRESSURE AT ALL TIMES, ENGINE STARTS IN THE COLDEST WEATHER, HAS ABOUT 23,000 MILES ON IT.
THANKS
BOB

Pull the distributor cap and check the shaft for looseness like excess wobble or vertical play.

Some end play (up to .050" or so) in the distributor shaft, (up and down) is perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned with.

Any loose motion at all from side to side is too much and will affect performance, this would need to be addressed immediately by replacing the shaft bushings and reaming to size.

This could be coming from the oil pump, however that usually resonates as a humming noise, some noise is normal. Typical wear on the oil pump cover plate will cause end play in the shaft and rotor assembly. Removing the cover and having your local machine shop grind it back flat on a surface grinder with a magnetic table will restore proper fit and reduce noise if this is the source of it.

Vertical shaft movement should be no more than .010 and if you have a lot more it's very simple to adjust with additional thrust washers. Side play is very limited as Charles noted above with the service limit set at .005 with a 5 lb pull laterally on the shaft.

If you have a converted distributor, instead of the waterproof one, it may be a mis-match to the oil pump. M37 dists have an offset key on the end, and a pump to match. Civvies dists are centered.

Try listening to the oil pump on the other side?

THANKS ALL FOR YOUR INPUT. I CK THE DIST SHAFT, NO SIGNIFINICANT PLAY, SIDE TO SIDE OR UP AND DOWN, ITS THE WATERPROFF DIST. I AM GOING T DROP THE PAN AND AND CK THE BEARINGS, AGAIN THANKS