Do you need to remove the timing chain cover to remove the cam housing cover? (i have what i think to be a bad lifter, or a worn cam lobe in cylinder 3.... sounds like the exhaust/rear cam tower)

I would love to pop the cam cover off and look and see if there are any signs of wear... which would confirm it is a valve issue...

if the cams are fine... then i need to worry about bottom-end....

It looks to me like you should be able to just undo the 4 bolts on the driver side end of the tower, and then then 10 bolts on top... but i also see what look like it could be 2 bolts on the passenger side end of the cam tower cover... and these may be bolted to the timing cover.... and might keep me from inspection unless i pull my timing chain cover off....

there are bolts inside the timing cover.
i think there are instructions in the "secret cam" swap sticky in the performance forum

Grab yourself a Haynes Manual. It will tell you exactly what you need to do.

I have one in front of me....

It tells me how to take the whole cam tower off, and remove the cams, and all that.....

But i just want to pull the cam cover off and look for signs of cam or lifter wear before i tear it all apart.

I have a new head, and new cams, and new lifters.... But i want to know if my noise is valve-train or lower half before i tear into it.

If my cam and lifters all look fine.... then i need to get parts for and plan for a bottom half as well.....

If i have obvious cam and lifter wear, then chances are that is my problem, and can begin my head job and not worry about the lower half now.

The chiltons wont tell me how to "lift the cover just to take a peak"

I mean even if i can just crack it open and look through the gap... without completely removing the cover.... that would work too.

I just dont want to have to pull the head half way apart.... then put it back together, then order parts, then pull it all the way back apart again.

I am just "planning" and diagnosing at this point.

You have to remove the timing cover, timing chain & remove the cam gears in order to pull the cam cover.

If you try to peek under it, you might actually break the cover.

when i pulled my old motor...i just wanted to look at the cams as well. there is no peeking. i broke the cover prying it off. I just thought it was stuck, and that swhen i realized that there are bolts holding it in