venting... Vortec intake gasket failure !!

[ChrisWhewell]

Put vortec heads on my '67 last August. Been running it since then but on the highway a week ago I look in the mirror and I'm trailing a huge bog of smoke. So I'm thinking.... @#$@! oil ring is shot. Plug in #5 hole is all fouled up, but it turns out... of all things.... its an intake gasket leak. I started the motor and pulled the pcv valve and oil breather, and sure enough, a vacuum is developing in the engine. That explains why blue smoke only at higher rpms.

Well, I'm no novice at motors and never ever had an intake manifold leak on me. I used Edelbrock manifold 2116 and Edelbrock gasket set 7235, thinking all would be fine, cuz we sent a man to the moon and gasket stuff is easy.... right.

So, I could put back in another set of 7235's but the epitome' of stupidity is doing the same thing twice and expecting a different result, so I'm looking for options as far as intake gaskets. I'd like to re-use the brand new 2116 manifold I just bought in the summer, so it looks like the only gasket choice I have are:

1) Fel-Pro 1255's
2) GM 12529094; or
3) the ones included with the Fel-pro whole upper kit 98000T and use only the intakes from it and don't use all the other stuff in that kit.

I'm hesitant to use the GM's, cuz lots of folks claim when they tear motors apart, the plastic's always broken on those (overtightening or can't take the heat cycling). Plus GM had dexcool problems and their gasket re-design may have been motivated from that snafu and not necessarily sealing issues.

I guess its gonna be Fel-pro this or that, unless one of you all know of a better option perhaps....... Grr, my beast was running so nicely. Well, at least I don't have to do bottom end work on oil rings, so I'm kind of celebrating. Any and all gasket suggestions welcomed.....