[Stocker]

FWIW, when I broke a valve spring in my BBC (69 El Camino, 396/375HP) it made a lot more noise than I would call a ping or a slight rattle. First time, I had several hundred miles to go on a cross-country trip and it was a weekend, nobody available to work on it and it was running OK so I kept driving. Second time, I recognized the sound and got it to a shop for repairs. Too many years and too many beers, don't recall if there was a third time but the problem was eventually eliminated with a set of Isky racing springs. Sorry for rambling but the point is I think a broken spring would probably be louder.