Another Mopar Off My Bucket List - Barracuda Fastback
I am not sure what kind of heads you have, but the Edelbrocks have heli-coils in them right from the factory. In fact, IMHO any threaded aluminum parts should have heli-coils in them wherever possible from day one.
I'll bet the v/c are leaking because they are hitting on the intake runners, not allowing proper crush on the gaskets. Almost every aftermarket v/c has to be modified to remove the interference.