I had time to tinker with the motor today and have some new information that hopefully will help someone give me some direction here. I have read several posts suggesting that this might be a fuel pump issue and they gave suggestions on how to determine if that might be the problem. I first started retracing all my previous steps, from checking to make sure the new fuel filters were tight, to checking all the fuel lines and band clamps that I could get to. I found no air leaks and tightened everything I could get my hands on. I then started the motor and pumped the primer bulb by hand while the engine was running. Someone said doing this might give the extra pressure to the pump that was needed if there was a restriction anywhere and that the ticking might stop, well it didn't. I checked the vent going to the gas tank and it was clear, I even cracked the fill spout to the gas tank in case there was a vacuum on the tank and the ticking still did not go away. After I let the motor idle for a while like this and scratching my head, the tick vanished while I was doing nothing. This is the first time in roughly 30 minutes of idling in the last few days that the tick randomly stopped. I then revved up the engine, only to have the tick reappear and increase as the RPMS increased. Once back to idle though, the tick vanished. I cut the engine off and pulled the back cover off the engine to be able to pinpoint the sound better and to pull my spark plugs to check for carbon build up. Someone also suggested that a plugged O2 sensor can cause this ticking, but does this 4 stroke have a O2 sensor. After checking the plugs and finding only minimal carbon build up, I fired the engine up again and listened to pinpoint the tick. I can't find exactly where it is only that it is in the valve cover area where the spark plugs are on the back right of the engine. However once again the tick has vanished from idle and is only present when the RPMS increase or decrease. I should also add that I changed the oil and put the recommended 6 quarts in the engine, but according to the dipstick it is right at the high mark and maybe a fraction over. I read online where it was actually good to only have it 3/4 of the way up the dip stick. Do I need to drain some out, could this be causing a problem? Sorry for the long post, but I am nervous because I have a offshore trip lined up this weekend and it will be about a week and a half before I can take the boat to the dealer (if it even needs to be taken). Don't know if I should cancel my trip, of if I am just being paranoid over a tick that might be normal. If anyone has one of the engines and has or has not heard this tick, please let me know. Thanks to anyone who tries to help. The last thing I want is to be 20 miles offshore and have my engine blow or break down due to something that I could have potentially avoided.