The first 70 mile test drive today revealed that the valve cover leaks seem be gone, thanks to the fabricated valve covers with thick flanges, Fel Pro silicone gaskets, screw-on
oil filler cap and breather tank connected to the v/c with AN lines.
Also I discovered what most probably caused the worst leakage in the past. A lot of
oil seems to be coming from where the dipstick tube enters the timing cover. I always wondered how this design was ever intended not to leak, as the tube sits relatively loose in the hole and RTV generally works very poor for such applications. However I didn't suspect it to be the main culprit.
What have others done to solve this problem? Compression fitting would be the best solution in my opinion, however cleaning everything with acetone and JB welding it to the cover might work better if disassembly is not an option.
As far as the flywheel bolts go, I always used sealer on these thanks to Tom Monroes small block Ford book...