Originally Posted by Malicious_Art

Thanks all for the comments, I’ll try to answer what I can:

im located in Australia, so we’re in winter atm. Not crazy cold but seeing 4c overnight 8-14c highs.

I had the problem with stock ls valve covers, and had them potentially worse now with the Holley sbc adaptor valve covers. Definitely see the point in the pvc outlets being under sized in those. I’ll look at drilling some new bigger holes out - also ones that align better with the sbc valve covers I’m using to hide the coils. Is 3/8 ok with a bigger valve cover outlet? Or will I need to upsize the hose?

the pvc system is hooked up but with out a valve. Two lines come out of the valve covers T and joint a baffled catch can. That loops back to one of the two throttle bodies. And when it’s been running a while I can see it throw some froth into the throttle. This is what alerted me that I hadn’t solved the issue with the new heads and head gaskets. All 3/8 hose and aluminium hard lines.

are you all suggesting vented instead of looped back engine vac catch cans instead?

I’ve just ran a coolant system pressure test and it’s got a slow leak when cold for sure. Took a few minutes but when from 1.1~ ish bar down to about 0.6bar. So there is a leak somewhere

I’ve done a visual and touch check on the following places:
rad hoses
thermo housing (just replaced and the thermostat)
heater core hoses (all new and new core went in while dealing with this - had a loop back went to a new core)
water pump to the block
steam vent fittings (I’m running two braided lines and T’d them together into the top rad hose)

all with no signs of moisture.

im going to run it again and several more times but any other thoughts on where it could be?

if I can find anything after a few more runs through I’ll start pulling plugs for signs.

also the retainers aren’t rusty, it’s baked on oil, it was a junkyard engine. I’ve cleaned parts as I go as best I could but didn’t see the point in going too hard there as it was just gonna get filthy again anyway.

Originally Posted by Che70velle

Sure looks like rust on number 2 exhaust retainer. My apologies, it’s always a gamble by looking at internet pics. I wouldn’t have been surprised as that’s an awful lot of liquid getting in there somehow to make that much whipped cream.

Originally Posted by Malicious_Art

Ok so head gasket by the look of it. This is 6 and 8 side by side. 8 is the cleaner one.

this is not from the side I untorqued and retorqued. What’s peoples thoughts on doing both head gaskets at the same time?

also anyone use ft/p for torquing stock bolts vs the angle? I’ve don’t it twice that way now and have been dealing with this.

Will also do the block sanding trick I saw on here with the lever and sand paper to try and assure a flat surface.