replaced an acs claw 18t with a used 17t yesterday

rode it and discovered a curious noise yesterday... it took me a long time to localize the noise but now im certain its coming from the freewheel. its almost a pinging or a clinking noise thats emitted when i turn the pedal... when the wheel is spinning freely or when im coasting there is no noise.

i was thinking that it could be the misaligned engagement of the chain on the freewheel teeth but the chainline is pretty good (its a factory SS--not a convert). my other suspicion is that there are loose bearings inside the freewheel?

it would seem unlikely because the ACS Claw is unserviceable ... thusly the freewheel cannot be dismantled for some bearings to have gone bad... or maybe the grease is old causing the bearings to make noise moving against one-another? im not entirely sure... never done SS stuff before. if that is the case i just have to trash the freewheel and get another, right?