S14 sr20det ticking bad...tried everything HELP

[nxpoweredsr20]

hey guys i have a s14sr20 that was fully built. I got the motor running and it had no problems for about 500 miles then it started ticking. At first it wasnt bad then it got louder and louder. I took it to the shop who built the motor and they thought it threw a shim or a keeper. They were all in place so they said could be a lifter or they need to be bled correctly. So i researched and bled the lifters correctly( submerged fully in oil and used a prob ) and then the car didnt tick for about ten minutes then it started again! has anyone had this problem or can guide me? i want to make sure its not something besides lifters before i spend 450 on new ones. Ill post up a video later.
note: ticking is def. in the head and not in the bottom end
thanks alot guys any help is great