Parked the car yesterday, all was fine. Went today to start it up and have a ticking sound from engine. Narrowed it down to #4 by removing plug wires from each until noise quieted down a bit.

OK, next will remove valve cover. Since these are stock hydraulic, which I have not played around with for many years, will check if they are loose, which they shouldn't be.

Years ago I remember someone telling me if you put a timing light to that cylinders plug and shine the light on the rockers of that cylinder you should not see anything out of sync, if you do it means a bent valve/pushrod. Is that right? Think I tried that many years ago.

Anyway, any recommendations to diagnose without removing head yet, perhaps needlessly.

If it cut out when you pulled the plug wire , I'd lean towards exhaust leak.
If it is valve train , it doesn't matter if that cylinder is firing or not.....it will make the noise.

NOT totally gone, but much reduced. Exhaust is a possibility too. I have heard gaskets on headers before, much louder. These are stock manifolds, so not sure if they would sound the same if leaking.

One thing forgot to mention, engine was rebuilt less than 1000 miles, though anything can still happen.

Many times when I got the knock to slow down or go away from pulling wires it was a piston/rod related problem. I agree valvetrain noise should not matter whether the cyl is firing. Is it a ticking or more of a lower end knock ? Ron

What happened to me, was the lifter bore was enlarged at the bottom, allowing the lifter to move sideways [click] had to get lifter bore sleeved

SInce it was over night I would think a exhaust gasket
or your lifter... I have a exhaust gasket leaking and
many say... oh you have a loose lash... its a gasket
on mine... if you hear it at idle but rev it up and
it basically goes away its a gasket

Give it a taste of ATF at fast idle and if it doesn't spew smoke at the head/manifold you might have a more $$ problem.

Could be a wrist pin or a scuffed or broken piston skirt if it isn't exhaust related. If the tick doubles up when you chop the throttle, it's piston/pin related.

Kevin

Re tightened exhaust manifold. Took off valve cover, re tightened rocker assembly. Restarted it, all was well, took it out and no problem at all. More than likely just a lifter that was not bleeding correctly. If it happens again at the same location, will replace those lifters. Everything in the engine is less than 1000 miles, probably just a fluke. Thank God.