Your feedback on this needed. I've been out of town for exactly one week and upon starting up my '00 Max SE (it's been in the garage, temp ~70 deg F), there was immed valve train clatter for about 1 sec until the oil pressure climbs. Of course, start up is normal as rpm climbs to just below 2K rpm. I use Mobil-1 5W30 as spec'ed, orig owner. Is this normal? BTW, engine has 27K on the odo.

Thanks in advance.

 

totally normal

 

yea, mine does this too, after 3 or 4 days sitting.

 

Very common--my Dad's 97 does it and so does my 02. It's more common when cold and the car has been sitting for a while.

 

You need to ensure that you have an oil filter that has an anti-drainback valve and make sure that it is working. Most filters have this valve but it fails, especially in the cheaper filters (like Fram). This leaves you with a dry engine at start up and lots of valve chatter. Here is a link to a site with more information:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/...?ubb=get_topic;f=6;t=000095

 

Maxes have solid 'lifters', meaning the cams actuate the valves diretly via the cam followers with valve adjustment handled by shims between the can lobes and the followers...very different from an overhead valve engine with hydraulic lifters which require that the lifters themselves be 'primed' with oil -which is incompresible.

The noise you're hearing is actually some thrashing from the cam chain because the hydraulic cam chain tensioners go somewhat limp, not clatter from the valves...