Well, problem solved. I followed  j.walkers advice and added i qt of
Marvel Mystery Oil, ran the van at idle for 20', then turned it of and
let it sit overnight, and the next morning, at startup the problem only
persisted for 2 secs, then went the of the Macarena. My girl dropped
that rattle like a bad habit. I did an oil change after that and my van
is running like a champ again. Except the mixture is still too fat, but
that's a lot less worrying than my engine clinking. Clink, clink...
Thanks to everyone. I'm located in Los Angeles by the way, and do remind
you that my flame shields are up..

Chore Boy