Motor Taps when started cold

[shoguy3.2]

ok guys, i noticed this last night and i want to find out what the **** is wrong. When i start my car and its cold....even with the hood down you can hear a tapping sound through the front end...you lift the hood and it doesnt get much louder but i think i pinpointed it to the front valve cover....i thought i mgiht have a loose valve soo i was kinda panicing ....i drove it to the movie theather (10 km) and when i got there ..the sound was gone...motor was warm and the tapping dissapear...only tapping sound i did hear was the fuel injectors pulsing...

now it got cold here ...dont know exact temps but it is cold.... and i put 89 octane gas in my car a few days ago, is it possible with the cold wheather and possible low quality 89 octane gas, i got spark knock ?? or am i looking at somehting more serious. Im seriously hoping it was spark knock.

any advice or help would be awesome guys

thanx

 

[wood_e]

Might be a shim out of spec. If it's on the top end I wouldn't worry much.

 

[jelloslug]

My money would be on the timing chain tensioner.

 

[MADDOG11]

Another thing to consider is it could be the fuel injectors just clicking away. Just a thought.

 

[shoguy3.2]

i dont think its the fuel injectors...this clickin is quite noticeable....when its cold....then it dissapears when the motor is warm......is it possible the fuel ijectors get louder when there cold ?? i am pretty sure its coming from under the valve cover....rememeber this is only when the engine is cold....after it warms up.....it dissapears !

any other thoughts ??

 

[laxmax327]

yea, i cant be too sure either, but i doubt it could be serious. just monitor it, see if it gets any worse, then i would look into it more. just my experience with these cars, they do not like the cold. seem to like the warmer weather better and just dont like to run in the cold. its a big baby...

edit: assuming your positive its coming from the top. and car still runs fine and powerful. if its from the bottom end, then you may have some issues...

 

[shoguy3.2]

i have herd from many people that SHos dont like the cold....my car still has all its power, still hauls ass and im sure its not coming from the bottom end.......the sound goes away when its warm ...but im gonna keep monitoring it...i put some 91 octane gas in it today and it seemed to go away soo im thinkin i had spark knock ....very low quality 89 octane gas possibley

i appriciate it guys.....any other opinions ..

im gonnna keep an eye on it ...

thanx guys

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Just turn up the radio and don't worry about it.

 

[TRSCobra]

Mine makes some noice when I first start it up. Its got cleaned out cam chain tensioners and new rod bearings. But for the first few seconds when I start it cold, I get some racket.

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

The tolerances on the SHO motor are pretty tight....thats why I use the 5w30 in the winter. At cold start up my car has a very quiet knock that no one can hear but me (at least thats what all my passengers say). When its warm, no noise.

Valve shims dont get so out of spec so suddenly that the motor just starts knocking. Check the next cold morning using a screwdriver to the ear or a mechanics scope.

 

[Super Matty P]

it's the oil pressure like raptor says.

 

[ohfosho]

yes im sure you have 10w30 in there, on cold start ups, its a lil more syrup'y than 5w30, so it doesnt get into every small thing right away...and therefore will create more wear! get a thinner oil in there! also start checking into top 60k work...it might be due....but the sound went away when warmed up, so that tells me thick syrup!