Re post25
Or the intake is down so far that the bolts are trying to stretch the intake from side to side, which of course they cant do
I bet that's ^^^ exactly what's happening.
You know what? maybe too much has been machined off the sides of either the heads or the intake. I wonder if two thick gaskets per side would restore the relationship. the manifold would have to be very carefully torqued down in the proper sequence and in very small steps, so that it would actually draw down. Thats down vertically.
Ive never tried a stacked gasket there, but I think it would work. Still cheaper than a new manifold. Might require periodic retorques though.