Lifter Valley Pan Gasket Oil Leak

[Stretch]

I’ve got a significant leak at the back gasket of the lifter valley pan. I get oil puddling on the top of the driver side engine block below the gasket right where the block and bell housing mate up.
Engine starts first time, idles well and runs well. No bogs, hesitations, and pulls smoothly under load.
I don’t like the fact oil puddles up after normal driving around my weekend driver.
New pcv valve and grommet from IH Parts and connected to intake vaccuum port, driver side stock valve cover vent fittings and connection to stock air cleaner, egr block plate installed, no other smog stuff on the engine.
Vaccuum at idle on intake side of pcv valve, temporary tee installed to connect gauge, is about 18 and drops to about 10 under load going up a hill. Quick google search on pcv system vaccuum at idle says I should have about 1-3, pause, that was at dipstick, I’m going to go check that right now before continuing this post and my question.

 

[Stretch]

Just checked vaccuum at dipstick with everything connected normally, no registration on the gauge. I do feel a very very slight, barely detectable, vaccuum at the end of the driver side valve cover hose when disconnected from the air cleaner.

Thoughts?

My plan for the ride is to keep it basically stock, reliable driver. I like the time capsule vibe of the stock iron. I also don’t want it leaking but I don’t want to remove the intake and put it back on for a leak I could just check and feed it more oil every few months or more. It’s just kind of a bummer to take a bunch of stuff off and put it back together for no increase in performance, value, etc. Maintenance is totally required and necessary to avoid failure but it’s not as fun as spending the effort and making things better than they were before.

Thoughts, help, or convincing argument to drop a new manifold and carb on it?

It has the stock notorious carb now, but I got it dialed in pretty well by rebuilding it and with help from the people on this site and other old school carb gurus, Mike’s carbs specifically.

Thanks for any thoughts!

 

[Stretch]

I know the back gasket of the lifter valley pan leaks because simply puffing on the hose connected to the driver side valve cover causes oil/air bubbles to come out of the back gasket.

 

[FDChappie]

Did you check that the bolts are tight. Might be a stupid question, might not.

 

[Stretch]

Thanks for the reply FDChappie. I have not, it will only take a few seconds and I haven’t solve my problem so I will check them
out later when I’m back home. Thanks

 

[Stretch]

Checked the bolts, they’re tight. Decided to plumb in a 3/8 barbed tee just above the pcv valve and plumb it to the driver side valve cover pcv 1/4 npt port.
Ive got 3 inches of vaccuum in the crank case at idle now!
Idles a bit rough now and smells pretty rich.

Seems like a figured out one thing and now may have to figure out another.