is a little ticking from the heads normal? Car has had it since I bought, I have heard similar ticking from other overhead cam engines, so I never really worried. But it is fairly audible. Just wondering if maybe it is possible to eliminate. I.E. valve adjustment or something.

 

VQ engines love to tick. yours is normal

 

Is this also the reason why my gas pedal shakes or grinds sometimes over 3000rpm's?

 

The constant ticky noise are the valves. Some VQs get the ticks, and then some don't. If your gas pedal is shaking about 3000 RPMs, that is not normal. What are the conditions of this incident, ie. what fuel are you using, plug condition, intake condition, etc. But also, how bad is the pedal shaking? My will shake because the pedal is directly linked to the throttle body on top of the engine. So the vibrations from the engine will transpond to the pedal. Also, one of your engine mounts is located right behind the firewall by the gas pedal. So again, the vibrations from that engine mount is being distributed throughtout that part of the car, in this case, also your gas pedal.