nicole when i had the black fox i had a very similar noise to yours. sure enough i removed the valve covers and discovered two lose rocker arms. i tightened them and kept having to retighten them for a few months every so often but once the motor was broken in they seemed to have fixed themselves. i may be wrong but thats what happened to mine 

After all that work Nichole I'd be afraid to crank it until you locate the problem. Good luck locating it. 

Seems high in the engine, rockers or push rod or lifter.... 

Thats exactly what I am thinking too J.  

it better not be a lifter or I'll send a grenade over to comp cams 

UPS or Fedex? 

my logic is this...it's not very fast of a noise...so if it were a piston making noise..or connecting rod then it would be twice as fast as a rocker/pushrod/lifter.   The only thing that can destroy my spirit is bottom end failure, top end adjustment issues don't worry me, or even surprise me.

This will not be any kind of a serious problem either way, that's my opinon.  It just means we have to fix it before I can drive it offically.....

[ups or fedex] .....LOL

I'm getting a currier to come pick it up tonight and have it there by morning!

I had a lifter on a 351 Cleveland that I forgot to pump up completely with oil and started making a sound similar to that. Have you put a dowel rod or big screwdriver to the area and listen through the handle end? Sometimes you can tell if it's under valve cover, in the head, or, lower by moving down a little at a time.

we have one of those listener things, sounds loudest over the valve cover. 

Well, to me, that's good. Better than in the head or cradle. I bet it's a dry lifter or what you and stangman think on the loose rocker. I know if valve covers are baffled and a rocker comes loose, it'll make a helluva lot more noise tappin' on the valve cover. Good luck guys. 

it's the driver's side and the baffle is only on the passenger side, but we will investigate the inside of the valve cover to make sure there's no wear marks. 

Listener things .. J cracks me up with his technical terms .. LMAO. That sounds really like a loose rocker. 

If you used the 1/4 turn spec, its most definately a rocker. just pull the valve cover off and check em. no need to pull the whole intake off if thats all it is. Ive put quite a few together and I always had loose ones, after running it for a few mins. When I used 1/4 turn.

It being a little loose wouldnt have hurt anything else either.

Oh, if you need a courier Nicole...hint hint.  lmao

I agree with Mark .. also the engine may smooth out a bit when you reset that rocker. 

....and if it does smooth out. That means you need a bigger cam. lmao    No j/k

LMAO .. GO BIGGER .. LOL 

Do a few bong hits before you test things. It will help keep you calm when you have these little issues. Instead of freakin out  and ripping your whole intake and stuff off. lol

I am ready to replace everything... lifters pushrods and rockers... lets roll.

lmao. Well send that old shit to me !! ha ha 

You might as well just get a whole new set of heads too. lmao

LMAO .. GO J 

yeah, ok; these 1400 dollar heads aren't going anywhere, and neither is my new valve train components
  Everything in this engine is new except the block, crank and a few bolts. 

as for the intake..the upper intake needs to come off; no way will the valve covers lift off the rockers and still slide out under the intake.  The lower intake is staying put, it doesn't leak so it'll have to still make noise after the rockers are readjusted.

to late, tranny and engine are out of the car. 

LMAO, J !!! Mark, what kind of wrench thingy did you use for the 1/4 turn? Or does that bong thingy universally fit everything? 

Electric car concept may have been an outstanding project. lmao

new development!

http://www.gotstang.com/blog/3870#jump 

lmao. Glad thats all it was. I fugured as much.