Originally Posted by Cliff Clavin

That definitely sounds like it. You can do a search and see how to ground your VTCs (disable them). Once you do that, it should go away and you know that is the problem. Personally, I would not leave them grounded, as it effects performance.

I drove my car for several years with it clacking like that. I finally bought a JDM engine and after a while, that one started doing it, too.

Looking at the 3rd gen forum, I see not many people around and I am sure more of these cars are going to the scrap yard because of the engine problems. It is a one-off engine, only found in this car, so parts are getting harder to find.