Valve ticking, disappearing, then re-occuring...

[johannes]

440 HEMI CONVERTED (Stage V)
Individually adustable roller rockers
Hydraulic rollers.

Now the strange thing is that the valve ticking occured (one valve only),...disappeared totally,...then re-occured.
For some time it has been on/off, but now the ticking is significant....

Feel free to guess.....

[moparmaniac59]

I'd just guess and say a lifter is not pumping up all the way. Ticks when it's cold, stops when it's warm?? Oil viscosity changes when the engine warms up. I have a small block 360 with a lifter that sometimes ticks ever so slightly and stops once the car is warmed up. I don't worry too much on my car as it's very slight and stops once warmed up. So when does it tick & when does it stop?

[johannes]

Well, I took the valve cover off, and the picture says it all I guess... 
On these heads, there is only a small bore per pushrod to be in, thereby limiting the radial movement in this case.
As you can see, the flat surface of the broken adjuster screw has been riding on the edge of the pushrod thereby removing the slack.
...a small wear mark on the rod where it was rubbing against the bore in the head does not show on the pic...

Well, you learn something new everyday, but I have to tell you, the Barracuda is streaching my patience.   
If she was'nt such a beaty, 

[Chryco Psycho]

Uhuh

[LAA66]

 On a couple occasions I have found the the other-side of the adjuster (and nut) sitting on the head, luckily they didn't fall down into valley. Not sure if they were tightened too much, or bad hardening. Replaced them all with Crane adjusting screws and no problems so far.