If you run out of things to try, run a leakdown test on each lifter.
Before doing that, you might want to throw in a can of CD-2 detergent type additive, not the thick stuff. I have had consistent good results with this for quieting noisy lifters. It’s a shot in the dark for only a few dollars and easy to do.
im not familiar with that stuff, will it cause any damage to anything else in the engine?
Never any known damage for me. I have used it in gas motors and in a VW diesel.
A couple more things to ponder. Until a solution is found, anything is fair to check.
Lifters tight in the bores and with no sideways clearance that you can feel with your fingers?
Ball shaped pivot on rocker studs fit well in rockers even if new parts?
all of the valve train seemed to fit just fine and the lifters felt tight also. What do i need to do a leak down?
I’m not familiar with that after market head but OE heads use pressed in rocker studs that sometimes pull out of the heads.
these heads have screw in studs and guide plates and i checked them also
Have you pulled the lifters and inspected the contact areas (with the cam lobes)? we are getting to the end of the list so we will have to work the list again.
And we are getting to the point you may have to pull the cam and inspect lobes for damage, just keep it in mind.
no, i haven’t tried that yet. I have been trying not to pull the intake and fix this without doing too much.
Leakdown test requires special equipment that a dealer should have. As I recall, it imposes a given force against the lifter piston with the lifter immersed in oil. The lifter must collapse at a specified minimum and maximum speed.
I can’t help but wonder if your oil supply ports are close but not exactly where they should be for the lifters that you are using.
What weight oil are you using?
Im using 10W30 Castrol GTX. How would i check the supply ports? probably easier to remove the engine 
when you run out of ideas you may have to resort to verifying that the cam is still in good shape. I saw one suffer lobe damage just from having a difficult time getting it to fire up for the first time ( lots of cranking and inital rough running, no break-in possible it ran so poorly)
You never use “used” lifters with a new cam. I know a friend who was working on his chevy 283
and when putting it all back together mixed up the lifters from their original location.
100 miles later wiped out 4 cam lobes.
Measuring the height from the lifter roller bottom to the annular ring is easy with a vernier caliper or a dial caliper.
To measure the distance from the cam base circle to the oil port I suggest a length of wooden dowel squarely cut to the same length as the dimension from the lifter. With the dowel in the lifter bore and the cam lobe rotated away, use a flashlight and a dental mirror to see what you have. I have not done this.
Im using a roller cam and lifters. Every book i have read and the machinist i used said you can use used roller lifters.
I have always heard of that. Luckily with this engine it started after only a couple of cranks. Actually the first time i’ve ever had one crank that easily. I have built 3-4 small blocks in the past. I’m going to try the oil detergent that wha who suggested. Maybe some of the lifters have some gum or are a little sticky.
Wow, a lot of bad information here. First off, yes if you have a roller block (which you do) regular gm roller lifters are fine with any roller cam. Also, you can use used roller lifters with a used roller cam and not have issues. You don’t need a special additive for break-in and you really don’t need break-in for the cam with a roller cam. That is all flat-tappet stuff.
Since you have a roller block with a cam retaining plate from factory, I really doubt your are getting lifter walk or cam walk and I think you can throw these suggestions by the wayside.
First off, how bad is the tick?
A clack is a mis-adjusted lifter and since you’ve set the lash with the engine running, (brave man with crappy stamped lifters flinging oil everywhere) I will assume you backed off the rocker nut until you heard the “clacking” sound then tightened it till it stopped and then ~1/2 turn from there.
Second, if it really is a tick, what valve covers are you running. When I switched from GM valve covers to an aftermarket (nice) set, clicking was more audible but the valve train hadn’t been touched. What are the odds you are looking for a problem that doesn’t exist here?
Third, are the rocker nuts backing off causing your lash settings to go away?
Finally, are you running polylocks? If not, swap out those old stamped rocker arms for some Summit Racing full roller rocker arms, they are cheap and come with polylocks. (3/8 or 7/16 stud, you probably have 3/8 then you would use http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G6920B/ they also have narrow bodies for 50$ more) There is a technique to setting them and it has been a while, but I believe if you want 1/2 turn lash you would tighten the outside nut 1/4 turn, then tighten the allen lock nut, then tighten the outside nut the final 1/4 turn to really lock it down. I think this is correct, but I have poly locks on my rockers and I haven’t had to touch them since setting lash, get polylocks.
How sure are you that it’s a rocker arm tick you’re hearing?
Since you’ve just rebuilt this engine, and used a roller cam, I’m guessing that you also installed headers. Headers are notoriously loud, and I don’t mean exhaust note. I mean underhood noise, notably “ticking”. Additionally, a small exhaust leak at the header flange where it mounts to the head will also produce a “tick” that can very easily be mistaken for a valve “tick”.
How many are ticking? Isolate the ones ticking and inspect every component including pushrods. Are you hearing the noise with valve covers on or off? What type of valve covers are you using? Pull the spark plug wire to the ticker, does the noise go away?