Working on the above car. Has about 35K miles. Hearing a top end noise prevelant in the valve cover under light load (D) at about 1100 RPM. No noise heard under car. Less noise heard at head itself (stethescope listening). Slight noise heard at variable intake runner servos. No noise heard at same RPM with no load. Pronounced noise heard at valve cover. Valve cover off looks good. Just over .020 end play on drivers side cam. Specs are .001 to .014. Not ready to condem this fault as the cause of the noise. Exhaust rocker secure and tight. Intake shaft will rotate some...guess due to oiling through intake shaft with larger hole than hold down bolt. Rockers have axial play...no radial play noticed... hard to tell with valve gear still on. Noise is not like individual cylinder noise, but rather complete bank noise. He will put it back together so I can hear it...
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Curt

The late 3.5s are notorious for the exhaust rocker shafts breaking the dowel pins and letting the shafts turn and move in the rocker shaft stands. The intakes cannot spin due to the holdown bolts going though them. a quick check of the notches in the end of the rocker shafts will verify this. The notches should be pointing up on all for the shafts. The notches will face the front on the drivers side and face the rear on the passenger side.

Yes thank you. The exhaust rocker shaft is still secure. I did get to hear it myself finally. The noise is loudest on the drivers valve cover, not the head, not the front cover, not the intake, not the valve cover hold down bolts ... Yes that sounds crazy. Perhaps could it be too much oil squirting at the valve cover... really reaching here. I noticed the rockers have 2 holes at the valve end .The noise is not consistant or rhythmic...just plain weird.
Thanks
Curt