[QUOTE=Akdisco11;627249]Last night we pulled the 4.6 and dismantled it.

Ticking- was from two bad lifters of which one, was jammed into a walked cam bearing.

The head gasket was just starting to go between the #3 and #5 cylinders. Abran you were correct.
I'm going to have nightmares about this tonight. What keeps these lifters from dropping out onto the crank, into the oil pan...?

 

Nevermind, the camshaft, duh..

 

You might try to get an LR3 if you can find one cheap enough.
You'll throw a lot of money into the self destructing D2 engine.
LR3 or LR4 does not self destruct.

But like a marriage you are determined to make it work.

Check the rocker arm assembly that it is not loose.
Make sure you have the proper oil filter on and not some crazy one.
Maybe a Wix filter?

Make sure the engine temp is not too high where as that is thinning out the oil?

Great job on pinning the liners!!
Not many people can even pull that off.

Check that you are not getting oil into the coolant via the oil pump rebuild as those surfaces intersect closely there.

If you are running synthetic - maybe don't do that and run regular old oil which is thicker.

I would go with simple fixes first.
You have certainly tacked the very complex.