Help with lhs engine noise

hey,
I just bought a 1996 LHS online and when i got the car it had a rough idle. The owner said it just needed a tune up. Did this and no difference. After reading through the threads i checked the intake manifold gasket and thats the problem. I believe i can change this without any problems. The question that i have is the engine sound like it has lifter ticking but since there are no lifters i know it can't be this. Any ideas what the ticking could be. Definitly coming from the valve covers. Is valve lash adjustable? do i just need to run cleaner through the engine. Thanks

There are hydraulic lash adjusters built into the rocker arms on the 3.5 engine and they are not adjustable. A fresh oil change may free it up after some time, that worked on my brothers 97 after a werecking yard engine was installed that seemed like it sat for ages, if it doesn't help maybe a little marvel mystery oil added to it may help free it up, but using a cleaner? never been a fan of that stuff in any engine. If you can't get the noise silenced then you will need to find the offending rocker arm making the noise and see if you can free up the lash adjuster or replace the rocker arm, the lash adjuster itself is not replacable, you have to buy a new rocker arm to replace the adjuster.

You might be hearing the injectors firing. They sound like a ticking noise all along the medial side of the valve covers. If your noise only sounds like it's coming from one side though the injectors wont be it. I know mine are noticeably loud. Check your compression make sure all cylinders are within 10% of each other.