if it is cracked or the gasket is bad sometimes they sound like ticking lifters. look for carbon deposits at joints and on the manifolds themselves.
Could be a lifter or an exhaust leak on the manifold among hundreds of other things.
sounds like you have a loose rocker arm NEW ANSWER: A exhaust manifold gasket leaking will sound like a lifter also.
Yes it can, but try to isolate the sound by using some thicker weight oil and/or oil additive like lucas to quiet the ticking lifter. If the noise doesn't change it's probably an exhaust leak, if it quiets down you might have a collapsed lifter.
A normal ticking is the fuel injectors opening and closing, a very loud ticking with bad mileage and poor performance may be a sticky lifter, aka hydraulic valve lash adjuster. If the latter try something like Marvel's Mystery Oil or another sticky lifter nostrum before launching into a difficuly and expensive replacement.
it could be an exhaust leak, a bad plug wire, loose spark plug or a lifter. check the oil.
http://www.lovehorsepower.com/SubaruDocs/LashAdjusterReplace.htmAudio file, video file and pictures outlining lifter replacement.
More than likely you have a tiny exhaust leak. Could also be a bad lifter but you would hear that at all ranges.
could be a lifter sticking
only way to stop lifters from ticking is to replace the lifter. ticking or noise from lifters is caused by parts being worn most times whenthis happens the nlobe on the cam that the worn lifter is on, is also worn,so you have to decide if it is worth paying for both to be replaced
I think it could be your donut gasket or a small hole in the exhaust pipe. You may also need to change the oil. If the oil has not been changed for an extended period of time, the dirt and debris that accumulates in your oil will block the passages to the hydrolic lifters causing them to run "dry". Be caution with the ticking noise, I once got a good, loud ticking noise in myne and it turned out to be a stuck lifter! Not replacing a stuck lifter can blow your engine.
Is it a lifter ticking?
yes, if its ticking bad and you like the engine, get it fixed