Someone suggested converter bolts previously ... kinda makes sense to me & would be easy enough to check.
I checked on that while I was under the car working on the headers. There doesn't seem to be a problem with that. I am thinking that perhaps there is a cracked/broken header weld somewhere. It might be valvetrain related. It doesn't sound like anything botom end related because it sounds like a half speed ticking rather than a full speed bottom end sound. I will keep after it until I am victorious.....