Marbles under the cam cover!

[mrshl13]

I popped my hood when I got home the other day and my passenger side cam cover sounds like it has marbles rattling around in it! I was a quart low on oil but adding some didn't help. I really didn't believe it was a top-end oiling issue but one can hope.

The shop I called says it's probably a cam chain tensioner or worse. They quoted me $700 labor for a PI head/intake swap. Good deal? I've heard of others paying much more and these guys definitely know what they're doing. They work on Mustangs (more than anything else) and LS1s all day every day. I'd do the swap myself but I don't have the time, place or all the tools needed right now and the noise is getting louder just 2 days later.

I didn't even get a chance to race the car w/ the 3:73s, King Cobra and SFCs. I guess the next trip to Orlando Speedworld will have to be post-PI swap as well.

 

[nickthegenius]

How long has it been doing this? You may have a lifter(s) that have bled down because of the low oil level. I know this can happen on pushrod engines.

Mine chattered after we installed my cams for a few minutes until all the lifters pumped back up, but we bled them down on purpose.

 

[mrshl13]

I only noticed it 2 days ago. It was actually at the shop just a month ago and I'm sure they would've noticed this. I added the oil yesterday and when I got home about 2 miles later the noise was worse than the day before. It doesn't happen when it's cold so I'll have to remember to check it when I get home again today.

I only popped the hood in the first place to check on a squeaking I was hearing when it was cold that seemed to go away when it warmed up. That seems to be gone now even when cold but I'd much rather have that to deal with than a valvetrain issue.