Small Block & Big Block Chevy Specific - tick in valvetrain?

so im working on a 97 full size chevy z71. 350
the truck had a tick on the pass side head that went away when it gets warm.....so i go ahead and tell the guy i was sure it was the lifter...oil pressure builds up, and the lifter is ok right?
NO i get this thing apart and put it back together. tick is still there. i have gone down the head one rocker arm at a time and tightend each one til it missed and went the exact opposite til it missed....the tick stays until its warm.
what else could it be?

worn rockers? just a guess or your missing a cracked manifold my ford ticks till it's warm let me know what you find

so you did not replace the lifter?

a clogged lifter will still give you good oil PSI, and tick until the engine warms up and the oil thins out enough to bypass the clog

or it could be an injector tick (although they usually tick all of the time) also the egr, or bad exhaust manifold gaskets

so you did not replace the lifter?

a clogged lifter will still give you good oil PSI, and tick until the engine warms up and the oil thins out enough to bypass the clog

or it could be an injector tick (although they usually tick all of the time) also the egr, or bad exhaust manifold gaskets

what you are explaining is the exact reason i replaced the lifters in the truck...... i know how they work.lol
its not an exhaust tick.
when the valve cover is off its louder than when theyre on.
i know its in the valve train.....i just cant pin point it

Unless you hones the lifter bores and replaced the lifters, it is probably just sticking a but. Same thing has happened when i dont hone them on a new motor.