I have a loud ticking under my valve cover. 97 ford escort. I think its a loose valve but is it some thing i can fix. I know a little about cars. but not an expert

Not a valve, but a lifter. I will paste procedure below. You judge if you can do it or not. Recommend you replace them all while you're in there. If you let this go, the lifter will wear out the camshaft. Lifters are $22 each, and you have 8 of them. You will also need a new valve cover gasket.
Please let me know if you have questions, and thanks for using FixYa.

2.0L Engine
SOHC engine
See Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9

1. Disconnect the engine air cleaner-to-valve cover hose from the cover by compressing the hose clamp with pliers and sliding the clamp back, then separate the hose from the cover.
2. Remove the spark plug wire separators from the valve cover and set the wire assemblies aside.
3. Unfasten the three valve cover retaining bolts.
4. Remove the valve cover and gasket from the cylinder head.
   

Fig. Fig. 6: Remove the spark plug wire separators from the valve cover

Fig. Fig. 7: Compress the engine air cleaner-to-valve cover hose clamp with pliers, and slide the clamp back ...

Fig. Fig. 8: ... then disconnect the hose from the valve cover

Fig. Fig. 9: Unfasten the valve cover retainers and remove the valve cover-2.0L SOHC engine

If removing more than one valve lifter (tappet), mark the lifters and their locations as they must be installed in their original bores.

1. Remove the rocker arm(s).
2. Unfasten the lifter guide plate retainer.
3. Remove the guide plate and the lifter.

1. The oil feed hole in the lifter must face away from the oil feed hole in the cylinder head.
2. Lubricate the lifter(s) with clean 5W-30 engine oil and install them in their original bores.

1. Install the lifter guide plate and tighten the retainer.
2. Install the rocker arms.
   

1. Install a new gasket and the valve cover.
2. Install and tighten the valve cover retainers to 71-97 inch lbs. (8-11.5 Nm).
3. Attach the spark plug wire separators to the cylinder head.
4. Connect the engine air cleaner-to-valve cover hose and engage the hose clamp

The loud ticking can be bad lifter-bent push rod bad or cracked rocker -or no oil to lifter and or valve would need to pull off valve cover and look at operation of valve train a loose rocker can be tightened down to 0 lash if the problem is a loose rocker --if the valve rocker is oil starved need to flush oil system --if bad /flatten or damaged lifter will need to replace lifter

If your mechanically inclined and have a bunch of metric tools and time, yes you can do this yourself. Valves don't get loose, they wear and springs break and rockers and lifters fail, this is what the ticking sound comes from. You might just have an exhaust leak, that makes a ticking sound as well. I suggest you take it to a garage that will give you an estimate and let them look at it so you can decide if you want to tackle this issue or not and if it is worth keeping the car. If it is just a valve you will have to remove the head and evereything that is connected to the motor so you get to all the bolts and hoses. Once the head has been remove you will have to take it to a mcahine shop and get the valves replaced and the head ground. If you just replace the bad valve without re-grinding the head, the valve will wear out very quickly and you will be right back where you started. Then you will have to replace all the gaskets and hoses and belts.