ok so heres the situation leading to my question.
i bought my 1995 Tracker LSi 4x4 a little over a year ago, with 33,000+ miles on the odo.  it ran perfectly (and still does) but within a timeframe of about 4 months the cat broke up and pluged the muffler and i needed to get the whole exaust replaced.  problem is i had to drive the car (pluged exaust and all) to my muffler shop...it's a mile or just bit over a mile from my home

after it was replaced i noticed a very light steady ticking or clicking noise that only happen as i accelerate.  i never hear it at ide or even just light accel (like from a light)  only when i get on it (like to pass or get on the highway)
the truck runs no different than it did when the old exaust was on.  there isn't any adverse conditions....just that ticking noise.

asked about this on another Suzuki BBS...or maybe this one, it'was a long time ago i don't remember (LOL)  
and i was told to not worry, the ticking was normal for 16v motors due to the position of the cams or something like that.  but i swear it didn't tick like that before.

so my question is....is THIS normal?  or is it possible i have some valve damage from driving it a hair over a mile to the muffler shop on a pluged exaust?

and if i had valve damage wouldn't there be some wear and tear damage from driving it now for over a year with bad valves?  because the truck runs fine.

someone suggested it could just need a valve adjustment to remedy the ticking...because if the valves were in fact "damaged" my timing belt would have been gone a long time ago by now (year and a half later)

cause i've decided to invest some money in this rig now and want it to make sure it lasts....any suggestions guys?

I don't think you did anything to your valves,just doesn't make sense. But when they changed the exhaust or when it was plugged up are you sure the gasket between the converter pipe and exhaust manifold didn't blow out from pressure? A leaky exhaust manifold can sound like a ticking and you would only hear it under load. Open the hood with it running and put your hand near the converter/manifold connection(don't touch) and see if you feel any blowby.

If you have done any damage it would prob. be to the tops of your pistons, that is what seems to go first, the next thing on the 16 valve would prob. be a crack in the head but you would see a water loss in the radiator, The oil filter has to be of good quality like a wix or napa gold, and run a good 30wt oil, if it still is a little noisey get the valves adjusted, I did find a larger oil filter to fit mine but I can't remember the ap. or the number of it! I run a synthetic blend in mine and is seems to hold up a little better for four wheeling, you could also do a compression test to see how things are doing!

I don't think you did anything to your valves,just doesn't make sense. But when they changed the exhaust or when it was plugged up are you sure the gasket between the converter pipe and exhaust manifold didn't blow out from pressure? A leaky exhaust manifold can sound like a ticking and you would only hear it under load. Open the hood with it running and put your hand near the converter/manifold connection(don't touch) and see if you feel any blowby.

I also would think it's a possability that its a exhaust leak.  They can give you a ticking noise.

exaust leak
now THAT IS funny
i would have never thought that would cause high rpm ticking ....but it just so happens i have major exaust leaks....EVERYWHERE!
that would explain ALOT, i guess
the shop that did the exaust did a piss poor job and the exaust system is all jacked up because of it.  after i finish the lift kit im going with all new exaust set-up calmini headers and a much better quality built exaust.

i also have been runing Castol syntec blend oil for the last 3 oil changes.  like i said the car runs damn good and very strong so i doubted it was valve "damage"  but that ticking is starting to bug me again.
thanks for the input guys