Jeep Cherokee Forum - Ticking noise caused by???

Hey everybody I know there are more than enough threads on here about engine noise but I still need help after searching all day. Here's the deal I bought a jeep knowing the engine had a knock/ticking type noise and hoping it was the flexplate. So, I got it home, pulled the inspection plate, and what do you know a bolt was extremely loose. So I tightened it up and could hardly hold my excitement as I cranked it back up..... what do you know still making the same noise without any change. I cleaned off flexplate then with brake cleaner and inspected it for a good while with a light and did not see anything. So next plan was to pull valve cover. It needed a valve cover gasket anyways so I went ahead and pulled the valve covers and everything seemed to be fine. So now I was thinking I was going to drop the oil pan some time soon, but after reading today I am still not convinced its not the flexplate. I read about pulling all the bolts except one and prying on it slightly to check for cracks but still not sure if its worth the time. So now that you have read a full novel, let me tell you about the sound. Its a varying ticking/knocking noise, but the one thing that stays consistent is that when you are driving and let off the throttle the tick/knock becomes noticeably louder until you get back on the throttle. It seems consistent through-out the throttle range except for when at about 60 mph then I can't seem to hear it but it could just be because the road/wind noise. I apologize for the novel but I would like to hear some input on if this sounds like flexplate, piston slap/broken piston skirt, piston slap, or what????