I've had a cold for a couple of days, so didn't feel like firing it up. Today I got underneath and dropped the pan, and removed the stud girdle. Super easy with no K-frame or steering

It was immediately apparent that there are big leaks (especially in the rear!) between the pan gasket and the girdle, AND between the girdle and the block. What I can see of the rear main looks fine and there's no oil on my finger when reaching through the Lakewood block plate vent holes.

I was surprised not to see a windage tray (I built this engine something like 13 years ago...) I think it interfered with the studs, or something. Anyway the Milodon deep pan has a good baffle, and looks like it'd keep just as much oil away from the crank, especially in combination with the girdle.

The oil pan gasket is firmly attached to the pan with Permatex Aviation form-a-gasket and doesn't look like it leaked. But I can see distortion where the nylock nuts (supplied with the girdle) dented the stamped pan.

More critically, and I'm again not sure WTH I was thinking back then, instead of RTV I'd used Permatex #2 also. To make a long story short, it didn't work everywhere... I guess the girdle is not quite as precisely machined as I'd thought - ditto the block rails!

Anyway I'm going to clean up all the Permatex with alcohol, then put it back together with RTV like the instructions said in the first place
AND a Superformance pan gasket that is on order. It may not come before the weekend and I'm out of town next week for business, but I hope to have a favorably dry report soon

ETA: 91% isopropyl alcohol only works on fresh Permatex #2. Nothing else makes a dent except lacquer thinner. I ended up using a gasket scraper and a rubber mallet to clean both the block rails and the gasket which I'd REALLY stuck to the pan. Also used a small ball-peen to make the pan holes flat again. [u][And/u] ordered the $45 AR pan reinforcement set. I hate oil leaks!