Yes on the bolts.

Last night on return trip it was cooler, and I added a bottle of water wetter and topped up coolant. Coolant jug was close to empty. Made 58 mile trip, including the 70 mph intersate sections, and thermostat kept it 180 - 185. I expect that when I filled coolant I still had some air pockets. I skipped my normal step of taking the truck up an incline (ditch on side of road) with the right front tire way up high, and running for 10 minutes with the radiator plug out. Coolant right on the seam line in the jug this morning cold, and a slight hiss when cap removed.

There is an oil weep from under the front valley end seal on to the top of the front cover. Bolt is snug and torqued to spec. What puzzles me is that should be an area with just splash lubrication, no pressure.... unless my oil separator is plugged up and PCV is not working. So after breakfast will pull that out.

 

PCV not clogged. Oil under entire length of metal part that holds down end seal. Can't see if it is from heads (oil port on front?) or valve covers. On valve cover gaskets, I used sealant on gasket to valve cover, but nothing from gasket to head. Should I? Will buy some more brake parts cleaner and clean off to get a better view.

 

With it being wet under the clamp, I would be looking at the valve covers, as the seal itself should leak from the rubber to metal, not rubber to gasket(well, it shouldn't leak at all...)

It is almost impossible for the heads to leak oil, there needs to be an incredibly specific gasket failure for it to leak oil and not coolant.

I personally don't use any sealant on the V/C gaskets at all, but I refuse to use anything but OEM V/C gaskets, as I have had too many issues with the aftermarket ones(including VR)

 

Mine runs 183ish most of the year. Creeps up to the 190-195 range with the southern summers and AC.

 

I adjusted the gasket on that end (bolts loose, tapped valve cover to move it toward fender an imarinary smidge. Torqued back down, no leak for milk run this morning. Coolant temp is another issue, it is 93F here and it is staying in the 194 range on the road and 201-205 in town, with 180 stat. I noticed some white powder on the inside of the radiator plug, perhaps it dried out in my multiweek project, and that powedered stuff is now scale. Running a drive-for 3-days flush now. Have about 30F differential top to bottom on radiator. Really don't want to buy a new rad...

 

I have a spare that I can have flow tested if you want

 

Pinky's post (number 215 in the thread) is pure genius. I'd replicate it here, if I knew how.
And Buzz: They don't leak. They mark their territory. Congratulations on re-assembly.

 

Buzz, after I drove mine a few times I had to snug up the coolant hose clamps,my hoses were new though worth a ckeck

 

Good idea, I'll attend to that tomorrow. On drive this afternoon, with AC off at 60 mph 185-187. Turn on AC and temp would creep in minutes up to 199-205. AC off and it slid back down. This is on secondary roads, not stop and go. So I think rad is just not keeping up. Will recheck oil leak, seems to have gone away (just that one, the other 236.5 are still there just like before I started.

 

Temps sound like mine, even after rod Rad and hg job, seems OK now with Chevy fan and clutch even with high idle but my AC is down with cracked line in the rear air