I'm getting ready to replace my lifters in my 03 GT. Anyone know if I can sneak the lifter and rocker out without removing the cam? Not looking forward to spending $300 in just gasket sets to replace an $8 lifter. But if I do remove the cam, is it possible to mark the cam gear and chain and take out just the cam without removing the head? Or should I just suck it up and remove the top end, all my accessories, drain my fluid, take off the timing cover, remove the exhaust manifold and then the head and cam? I'm really not looking forward to doing this again. I tore the heads off last summer to fix some bad valves when I detonated hard. I'm thinking the only gaskets I can reuse are the valve cover gaskets because they're rubber.

I'm hoping it's just a bad lifter or rocker. Lifters are $8 and rocker arms are $15. I already bought 4 lifters and will replace the lifters on the back 2 cylinders of the drivers side where the noise is coming from. Used a stethoscope to pinpoint the noise. It's loudest on the driver side back cylinder against the firewall which i believe is cylinder 8.

I have bought 4 lifters, intake manifold gasket set, and exhaust manifold gasket set so far. Just looking to get some tips from anyone with some helpful knowledge on the topic. I can tear my engine down and put it back together, but I'm not too keen on what to look for as far as a bad valve spring, what a bad lifter looks like or what a bad rocker arm looks like etc.

The lifter tick is getting louder as the weeks go by.

It sounds exactly like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwodSRwXkoE

Feel free to text me, 603-581-8863. I work 730-230 tomorrow and 9-230 on sunday. Thanks guys.