Well that sucks... sorry to hear of your troubles. I have used Cometic's many times, never a leak. I have even re-used Cometic's several times on my own engine, no leaks. I usually put them on dry the first time, and use copper coat when re-using them again. I have used Hylamar before also, but it is hard to get a nice thin even film, and the spray tip clogs and is hard to use the second or third time. The copper coat covers nicely more like paint, seems to work just fine, that is what I use now.                                                                                                                I have built a few engines with BBM blocks, I remember someone having an issue with water leaking into the lifter bores. I pressure tested them before sending them to the machine shop. One even had some porosity showing in the lifter bores, but they didn't leak. I think one fix if they did leak was to install lifter bore bushings. I almost think you had that done on yours didn't you? If so that should rule that out. I think you are on the right track though, pressure test it and see where it is coming from. There is also the oil passages coming from the #2 and #4 cam journal, up to the decks for rocker oiling, that goes through the water jacket and can leak, usually on old pitted blocks, I can't imagine that being the case on a new block but you have to check everything I guess, one never knows where a pinhole can be hiding, where you can't see it...

I imagine the cheap ones are hit and miss. I have talked with guys that say they fit fine and no leaks. I bought a set and the flange was like a rocking chair from end to end. The Moroso's look nice, but they put the angle on the top on the wrong side (in my opinion), doesn't leave much if any room in a shock tower car. Since you won't notch your shock towers Dale, I don't think the Moroso's would work for you. If you guys think some of these valve covers don't fit over rockers very well, you should try high riser heads and long T&D race rockers... and see how much worse it gets. The change in the valve cover rail angle, on a high riser, really messes with inside clearance, on the pushrod side. I probably have 10 sets of valve covers and only one set will clear on my high riser heads. I had to take a BFH to it and grind ovals in the bolt holes and move it toward the intake manifold and it still barely clears...

Are you guys talking 2-wheel drive trucks or 4-wheel drive? My son has a 2 wheel F250 camper special and we built a 390 for it, with C6 and have the flo-tech (I think?) long tube headers. Sounds like the starter could be fun...  just looking at it from what I remember, seemed like it had all kinds of room under the hood, but maybe not underneath...

Thanks, I know that, but I wanted all the running dimensions, cumulative, for all bores running down the bank, the bank angle etc. This is for a CNC machine, that doesn't have the FE program. I am hoping someone has the full image of the print.

Sorry for your loss... looks like you went above and beyond on the build, very meticulous and detailed. You did a good job for sure. I guess it is a crap shoot on blocks, you just never know even with good sonic numbers. I was curious what paint you used on the tunnel wedge, it looks good. Hard to find decent "aluminum" paint, that has the right "sheen" to it. Seems it is either too dull or too shiny and/or the wrong color. I like cast-blast for iron, but the aluma-blast just doesn't look as good to me. I have tried a few other brands/colors of aluminum, but nothing I like.

Thanks guys, I have a new cam in the engine.

Looking for bigger than these on both lift and duration. Thanks though, and keep them coming!