The cam/lifter problems didn't seem to start until the redesign in 2009 with 2011 being the most popular year. More than likely your tick is from broken exhaust manifold bolts which is common in all 5.7 HEMI's regardless of age. If the tick goes away in less than 10 seconds its an oil related tick. If it takes like a minute or more then its most likely broken bolts. If you're not already running 5W30 I would switch to that at a minimum to help with valvetrain noise.
I just bought an 07 model that has 160000 miles, so far no noises. I don't know for sure what oil the original owner used but I will be using a 5w Pennzoil brand of some type. I am not sure which one yet though.
If the MDS is active it calls for 5W20. Deviating from that can cause system errors. If MDS has been disabled then 5W30 is perfect.
