BILLK,PLS CHECK OUT MY UPDATE TO MY ORIGINAL POST CONCERNING OIL IN MY STOCK CAST 396 INTAKE FROM APPROX A WK OR SO AGO AND YOUR INPUT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.

I ALSO FOUND AN OLDER POST WHERE YOU SUGGESTED THE PAPER AND CARB CLEANER TESTS TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY INTAKE VACUUM LEAK WHICH I AM GOING TO TRY TONIGHT AFTER WORK OR MONDAY AM.(JUST WORKED 40HRS IN 3 DAYS YUK)

EVEN IF THIS TEST SHOWS NO VACUUM LEAK I AM STILL INCLINED TO REPLACE THE 33YR OLD INTAKE TO BE SURE IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM BEFORE I GO ANY DEEPER.

CAN YOU MAGNAFLUX AN INTAKE TO RELIABLY FIND A POSSIBLE CRACK THATS IN THE PLENUM AREA OR ANTWHERE ELSE THAT WOULD ALLOW OIL TO BE SUCKED INTO IT FOR DIGESTION?

BUT,PLS JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO READ MY UPDATE AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

THANKS A LOT....SCOTT

!!!!!SORRY IN ADVANCE TO ALL FOR THE CAPS,IT'S 7AM AND I JUST PLAIN GOOFED UP AGAIN ON THIS AGAIN.

Cast intakes can be magnafluxed, aluminum intakes need to be checked with a dye system.

The most likely place oil will leak into the intake is at the bottom of the intake runners where they mate with the heads, sometimes along the sides. There is not much material here for the crush so a little error will make a lot of difference. Spraying the top of the intake will only show a vacuum leak to the outside, not the bottom side: usually it is either the top OR the bottom that is leaking due to improper geometery.

If the heads have been milled on the bottom, but not angle milled on the side, a new intake will not help as the geometry will still be wrong. It is difficult to check the head geometry on the engine ther than checking gasket crush, but there are templates for that (but not easy to use accurately). Basically, the intake runners should be at a 45 degree angle to the flats on the front and back of the block. Obviously the same geometry on the intake. Checking the old intake gaskets as mentioned earlier should tell you a lot if you get them loose without destroying them in the process.