one lifter bleeds down. Any thoughts

Likely will need to pull that lifter and wither take it apart and see if there is an junk in it or replace it.

What brand lifters are you using? I am using Melling lifters and I am not impressed, they all tick on start up and there will be one (not always the same one) that will contiue to tick for up to a minute before quieting down. I plan to replace them all soon.

FWIW, Shortly after I had purchased them i read that the company here in the US that made lifters for almost everyone had a strike and for almost a year lifters were sourced off shore and there have been problems. The outfit in the US is back in production from what the ariticle stated.