Yes, when the alternator's fan blades barely hit its front bracket. BTW, did a newby engineer go overboard in designing that complicated bracket? Usually one would hear it slightly all the time, but could be just when starting. A pry bar quickly fixes the bracket.

Our 2002 Chrysler 3.8L van, would get a clunky noise when starting, and only occurred sometimes, i.e. w/ crank at certain positions. That was the final clue that the flex-plate was cracked (between engine and transmission). For a year before, I would hear a faint sheet-metal sound that I couldn't place, in fact suspecting the water pump at the front of the engine. Removed tranny and found the flexplate w/ radial cracks and cracked all the way around thru the bolt circle and had rotated 30 deg rel. to the crank. Surprisingly the engine ran fine like that, though the angle pickup marks are on the flex-plate (computer algorithm apparently adjusted). Common problem w/ the larger engine choice. But, I haven't read of flex-plate failures in our OM617 engines.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans