Damnit. about 6 months ago my 2.3 blew a head gasket, so Finally I get back to putting a new head on it, having it machined, valve seats and seals, a high lift cam and some followers. I thought it would be great. Well, when I fired it up cold it was great, ran quiet, then it starting tapping, tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap, getting louder and louder, when I throttle the car up it speeds up slightly and then entirely vanishes, when I'm driving the car it is quiet as can be, but when it comes down to idle it makes this tapping noise. GRR, what could this be? I hope it isnt a rod, dosent really sound like one, it gets intermittant after a while, throttle the motor up and it just vanishes entirely, come back down and it returns. It isnt something you need to lean in to hear, you can hear it with the hood shut. What could this be?? Did I forget something in the valve train? It dosent seem like its missing.