Sounds like you might have what I've got, fuel pump or regulator issue.

 

It could very well be, does the engine start normally, then start to stall with the onset of the clattering noise. That's what Tyler's engine was doing, it was a fuel starvation issue, as the engine "lays down" due to the low fuel pressure you get a burst of pre-ignition clatter for about two seconds then it picks up and runs normally. Does your engine act like this at all savm99?

 

No it seems to run just fine when it starts,just has that brief clatter at start up.But I had thought it may have had something to do with the way the cmp actuaters were positioned at shutdown,thinking maybe they were causing some kind of deisel effect.
I usually run whatever good quality oil thats on sale when I need it.Switched to the Mobil 1 this last time just for a peice of mind I guess.I dunno what to think anymore,I've heard from alot of people this is a pretty common and normal thing for these ecotecs,or is it ecotick?,lol.
It seems as though it could be some kind of "dry start' thing because it seems like all the oil drains back to the pan when not running.I've had a few people recommend I use a AC Delco filter because the little o-ring on the end of the filter is a tad too small on some filters and allows oil to drain out of filter housing.So I'm going to pick one up and try it.

 

I just did a timing set and the dry start sound continues. I thought that after changing the timing tensioner it would go away, but nope. Dont know if there is anything we can do to make this stop.

 

This sounds like a bad lifter. Lifter tick will be upon startup after the car sits for a while as the lifter will fall back inside itself expelling the oil. This is because the oil port (hole) is dirty or failing. Then it takes a tiny bit of time for the lifter to become pressurized with new oil. Once the lifter is repressurized the noise stops.

 

That was to both of you btw.

 

Are there lifters in these overhead cam engines?

 

Not lifters in the usual sense like you'd find in an OHV engine like the Chevy 350. But they do have hydraulic roller finger followers that work on the same principle, and those hydraulic followers can get gunked up with infrequent oil changes.

If they are a bit gunked up, they take some time to fill with oil and pump up, that'll give you the classic clatter of a stuck lifter.

A solution is more frequent oil changes to help remove deposits from the engine, if the problem continues the bad follower/followers can be replaced to quiet things down again.

 

One thing you can do right now is go down to Harbor Freight and pick upa set of mechanics stethascope (sp?). Then you can listen all across the valve cover at cold start and see if you can pinpoint where the sound is coming from. This might take a few tries since the sound goes away quickly but if you get lucky you might find what "follower" is the culprit. You can also use a long screw driver or a prybar but the stethascope is the best one for this task.

If it is this and you need to get new ones be sure to look for them as both followers and lifters as some places will call them one or the other.

Also if you do replace them yourself be sure to soak them over night in oil.

 

I like to use a long ratchet extension, grip it around the end and put it to your ear. Works pretty well.