Been away for while, happy new years to all....

Heres my prob, im getting a ticking sound i never heard from my motor. Its not loud, no knocking or any type of pinging. Only @ idle and disappears on acceleration. One thing that ive noticed is when i get to around 55 mph, its like it decels down with rpm dropping to round a 1000. Buts as i accel the rpms go up normal and i can get up to 60 mph. Then it decels again.

Im already in the middle of checking thing out, i have all rockers,rods, and valve lifters out and marked...ive already inspected them all...and i only have one lifter that has little markings that known of the other have..im kind of figuring this may be my prob with it riding the cam lobe...i can post a pic if you wanna see.

Post away!!!

Well heres the pic, this is the only lifter that looks like this, from far right side of cylinder #5....i got a light scope and looked down the valleys to the cam lobes and they look fine and shiney, no scuffs or knicks can be seen from the position there all stopped in....
And the other thing, should the balance shaft have very very minimal back and forth play in the direction of operation?

That is a nasty looking lifter? I'm surprised the cam lobe doesn't look like that.

Not sure what play your looking for, but, the 95 FSM says for the balance shaft...

End play 0.0 - 0.008 inch

Radial play
Front 0.0 - 0.0011 inch
Rear 0.0005 - 0.0047 inch

Its not a shaking up and down type of play, its in rotating form as if you were goning to turn it, im just checking to see if i should be able to move it @ all with my hand....im really worried about the lifter and the ticking sound....and the signature is there...

Oh, your looking for drive gear lash.

0.002-0.005 inch.

Does anyone believe that this lifter would cause the ticking sound im getting, because i dont see anything else interal thats bad...

A burned exhaust valve can have a "ticking" noise. A compression test would have to be done.

Alright finally back. I didnt get a chance to do the compression test...but now i beleive i should...um pretty much to sum it all up.all 12 new valve lifters, metal lower gaskets, new plenum, oil & filter, coolant (no dex fool). Let lifters soak overnite...got everything back together, cranked engine twice with intervals before actual start....sounded fine with no signs of leakage or metal grinding. Started it up and it sounds so good. Let it come to idle as it got to op temp i decided to give it a lil gas......fell as if theres a misfire....new plugs and wires rechecked.....no vacuum or air leaks....all coils firing in correct order. Did i go wrong anywhere?

lots of places for a vacuum leak, you use some carb cleaner? replace all the injector orings?