Does it tick when it is cold as much as when it is hot? Did you check the belts and make sure nothing is wrong there?
The VVTi timing may be pretty tricky to check and the only way I think you can tell easily is maybe with a vacuum gauge since it should be pretty weird vacuum or a strobe light into the oil filler hole if you can see both the intake and exhaust cam lobes and see them moving with respect to each other as you vary the load and rpm of the engine. As the VVTi adjusts the intake cam timing it should vary in position to the exhaust which should not change but keep in mind that the timing for the strobe light would vary if you are triggering on a spark plug - if you could trigger on TDC of the crank then you would be all set.

Another thing to check it the spark plugs if they are all even colors then it is not a intake valve leaking any oil through the stem seals.

Bore Scope the cylinder walls and check for maybe cracked rings scoring the bores.

 

damn it what a headache.....my spark plugs are fine checked them while doing the compression check, belts are in good order hence i onlee have one belt any ways but yea its ticking as much as it does when its hot.....i really do think it is my vvti cam though........