Yesterday afternoon I threw the throttle to WOT and it sounded as if it bounced off the rev limiter. After that there was a ticking noise that kind of sounded like an exhaust leak. I needed to check some stuff on the car anyway when I got home so I pulled into the garage and checked the stuff. Cranked it back up and realized that the ticking noise was a lot louder than I realized since the hood was up and it was on the passenger side.

It's coming from around cylinders 2 and 4 (the first and second on the passenger side). I grabbed a two foot 1/4 extension and used it as a stethoscope. When I put it on the fuel injectors for those cylinders it was loudest on number 2 but still could be felt/heard through number 4.

I'm wondering if it could be that I bent a pushrod, broke a spring, or busted a rocker. The engine doesn't seem to be experiencing a miss so I don't think it's damaged really bad. I'm hoping it's not a lifter related issue as I don't want to have to pull the head.

This afternoon I'm pulling the valvecover and going through the valvetrain on that head.

Any other thoughts?