Just had the plenum replaced, drove around for about 100 miles - no odd sounds everything seemed fine - then went to start it the next day and heard a tapping noise. Oil level was fine, oil pressure gauge said normal pressure, but it does not appear to be getting any oil up to the top end. Local dealer mechanic said it sounds like the gasket was put on wrong or something got in the passage way from bottom to top. What do you guys thinkg?

*** Moved from Brainstorming - Kevin ***

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Does it sound like a valve tap? Or perhaps less metallic sounding? If the cam valley was open there is always a chance something dropped in there. It could be a bad lifter.

definitely a tapping noise. called a mechanic and over the phone (not seeing it) he said it sounded like they put the gasket on wrong. I'm thinking maybe antifreeze got in and burned a valve?

I would expect to here a tapping sound from play in the valve train, not a burned valve, unless it'* stuck. In that case a compression test would confirm that. Have you looked at the oil? Is it milky or foamy? If not you have no coolant in the oil. I don't see how putting the Plenum gasket in wrong would cause a noise like that. If it'* a valve tappet sound it could be a collapsed lifter or a bad rocker. Can you tell which bank the sound is coming from? You may be able to remove the valve cover and inspect the rockers. You will need a new valve cover gasket to do this.

I could hear it loud and clear just sitting inside, I opened the oil fill cap and don't see oil moving or coating. Doesn't look like coolant in there but even a small amount is not good. If gasket was in wrong may have squeezed off in wrong hole and traveled to oil passage way?

The oil at teh top of the head comes threw the push rods.

Reasoning this out. I'd look down to the front of the valve cover for the oil. If there'* oil up there, then you should be ok for oil.

Next up ..let'* think about what happened. Minor plenum replacement and not much else. Was the oil changed since the replacement?

no, gets changed every 3,000 - 4,000 miles, only very small leak that lets it down about 1/2 quart between changes.

Ok, when the plenum was done. Was the lower intake manifold removed and those gaskets replaced as well?