Intake Leak

Just reread #1. You cut heads .015 and the deck .015, is that correct? If so thats incorrect, you have an angle issue. Get an angle indicator and measure your head angle, both sides when installed. Now level your intake on a bench across the carb pad amd measure your port angles. They should be equal. If the angle is off even by 1 degree, your gasket wont seal as they are not that compressable. I ran a Cleveland with no bathtub gasket (its a steel shim style seal just had the cut out lower part) and used ultra copper rtv as an intake gasket. I let a 1/8 bead skin for 30 minutes and drpped it on and torqued it down. Damn thing lasted over 3 years like that. They give you little tissue paper like gaskets to reuse and old bathtub intake gasket on these motors. You can run a bead of model clay over an oiled intake but clean the head side with alcohol. Torque with no gasket then untorque and lift carefully. Cut clay with razor blade The thickness of the bead should be uniform, or your surfaces are not parallel. Same procedure as finding piston to valve clearance.