First of all , thanks for all the replies.
Rocker arms are non-adjustable. I'm leaning away from a sticking valve because I ran a vacuum test. Gauge at idle reads 13in/Hg and is fairly steady with only a very minor needle vibration. I'm running a mild Torque Cam and our elevation here is 7000ft, so vacuum is pretty good. This is leading me to believe more toward a bad head gasket but I'm still open for all suggestions. Ticking is more tinny than solid. Sounds like a BIC pen when slapped on your knee, only much louder.