Guys -
 
I going to pull off the RPM Airgap on the 360 in the AMX for two reasons:
 
1.  I can't get better than 10 inches of vacuum even though I had around 16 or so last year before the rod incident.
2.  I'm getting oil onto the bottom of the PCV grommet even with the metal plate that Edelbrock provides to install beneath  
     the PCV.
 
I currently am using only the SCE intake gasket set.
 
So the question is, anyone who's installed the Edelbrock Aluminum heads and alum manifold, what did you do for
intake gaskets?
 
The instructions for the heads indicate to use the FelPro sheetmetal gasket, however, the instructions for the AirGap indicate
that you must use the sheetmetal gasket, PLUS the Edelbrock intake gasket set.
 
I believe that when I tried to use the sheetmetal gasket and the SCE gasket set, I couldn't get the intake bolts to align properly.
The SCE gasket's are .062 thick. and I noted that the Edelbrock gaskets are .060 thick.  I would think if I had alignment problems,
it'd still be a problem....
 
This car is driven on the street btw.
 
Anyway, your opinions and comments are welcome as always!
 
Thanks!
 
Steve

I don't know were you read that, But I am using the metal stock intake gasket on mine , with no problems, and my PCV is dry.
 
All my oil consumption is going around the rings as near as I can tell. It is tired.

I use the MR gasket  set with a valley pan gasket trimmed to fit upside down!
 Actually the valley pan gasket is only used as a valley pan and has the gasket portion trimmed off , Pan inverted and notched for pushrod clearance. helps keep oil in its place(out of the PCV sys/off of the bottom of intake manifold)

Very carefully check the fit of the intake under the shoulder that sticks out to support the valve cover gasket. I had one Air Gap where the casting above the ports was high and caused a bind with the shoulder, and a vacuum leak from below the intake. Did the thing ever suck oil when you lifted the throttle.
 
This was on an iron head engine; I've not has the edelbrock/air gap combo. Not sure how the shoulder compares, but check it out for binding.
 
You must use a valley pan gasket with the air gap - do not use the paper gaskets. The little edelbrock pcv baffle will not do the job by itself.
 
Do not use rtv near fuel. I use a very small skim of rtv around the water ports, and ordinary gasket sealer on the intake ports. I don't even bother with the intake port sealer on my own stuff as long as the surfaces are good.
 
If it leaks vacuum with the valley pan gasket there is something wrong. Measure the old gasket to see if you can find where it is not crushed correctly, check everything for angles, fit, surfaces, binding, and anything else. While Edelbrock actually does have some sembalence of engineering and quality control, way better than most, they are still an aftermarket company so don't assume the part is right. You cannot expect an aftermarket company to match the factory for quality. Maybe sometimes, but that is rare.

If the embossment was not even crushed there is some kind of a fit problem; different gaskets likely will not help. You must figure out what's wrong. Drop the intake down without a gasket and see how the surfaces line up. Check for bind, flatness, angles, etc . Then see what the gasket thickness does to the fit.
 
The oil line is a pain with a stock gasket. Often you can carefully locate a hole in the gasket and install the oil line after the gasket, or better still you could simply plug the holes and get rid of the line.

Guys -
 
Just as a follow-up, I checked the manifold to head match and it appears good.  The oil line doesn't have any interference.  Used my
piston to valve clearance tool (Play-Doh) to check.  The manifold doesn't touch the line.
 
I followed the Edelbrock instructions to the letter this time.  Used Gas-Ga-Cinch to set the edlebrock gaskets onto the heads, a thin
smear of silicone around the ports.  Then the Fel-Pro gasket with some more silicone around the ports on the manifold side.  A line
of silicone front and rear on the rails.  
 
This time I used a die grinder on the bolt holes of the manifold to ensure that until the manifold is seated all the way down, there wouldn't
be any alignment issues with the holes.  There weren't any.
 
Took a mirror and made sure that the manifold was sealed off at the front and rear.
 
Sooo.....  Waited two days now and tomorrow I'll put the coolant back in and put the dist back in.  And we'll see if the vacuum leak
is fixed.
 
If not, I'm suspecting a problem with the manifold.....
 
Steve

In my experience, retarded timing makes it run hot.  
I had a too big for the street cam that worked OK until I adjusted the valves.  Then I didn't have enough vacuum for the brakes at idle.  Could you have made other adjustments that could cause the change in vacuum?  
ralfy

SK - Thanks.  I think you're right.  Last engine build I did I used modeling clay and not Play Doh.  That was a long time ago, so memory isn't all that great anymore
 
In this case, I think it would be ok to use it to see if the manifold was even touching the oil line.
 
AMXRalf - I'll go over everything again just in case.  I'm hoping I don't have to pull the manifold again, but if I do , I will.
 
I'll figure this one out yet.  
 
Just had a thought on this.  It's possible that I installed the timing set incorrectly.  I'll need to check the instructions, but it was one of those late nights and I lined up the dot on the cam gear to the circle on the crank gear.  The crank gear has three settings,
5 degrees retarded, straight up and 5 degrees advanced.  The symbols are a rectangle, circle and triangle.  Wouldn't be
the first boneheaded maneuver I've  made!  If this is the case, that'll teach me to trust my memory and not go back
to the install directions....
 
 
Steve