Reply to "oil leak"

Any cork gaskets will compress over time and eventually leak. You'll possibly find them between the front & back of the intake manifold and the block, between the valve covers & cylinder heads, and between the oil pan and block. The fix on the valve covers & oilpan is to simply cinch the bolts a little tighter, but don't over do it, or you'll split the cork and make things worse.

If I ever find the guy who thought of using cork for gasket material, he's a dead man!

The front & rear crank seals will also leak, if the balancer or crank journals weren't cleaned up during the overhaul. The rubber gaskets at the ends of the oil pan are also prone to leakage if not installed just perfectly. Cleaning the leaking gasket with spray solvent (electric parts cleaner) and applying RTV will be your best route to take for sealing many leaks.

This is no shame for the Cleveland motor, as all American V8s of the era leaked almost as bad as a Triumph or BSA motorcycle. (I worked on those too) The manufacturers just didn't put a lot of effort in making tight motors until the mid 1980s.

Spending lots of time preparing the gasket surfaces, judicious use of RTV (aka silicone sealant) and avoidance of cork gaskets during assembly can result in a nice leak free motor.

your friend on the DTBB