Engine knock or Variable Cam Gear noise???

[tdraman]

Folks,I've got a 2002 3.5SE. Intermittently, and only at cold startup, I will hear what sounds like engine knock. It goes away within a second. Again, it doesn't happen every time I start it and I haven't been able to establish a correlation with anything else such as parking angle, etc. I asked my mechanic buddy. He pulled up some software program or website that seemed to point toward a bad Variable Cam Gear instead of rod knock or other internal engine problems. He said he thought it was related to normal oil pressure bleed down and suggested I just keep an eye on it. If it's the VGC, the repair seems pretty straight forward once you pull the motor. Calls for 12 hours of labor.

So my question: What do you know about this?

Thanks!

[Dexion]

Timing chain? All VQ's rattle a little on cold startup because of that.