Burning oil

[Hank70SS]

I have a GMPP 454HO and yes it burns oil. I know, I've heard all the stories about low tension rings and upside down rings in these engines. Based on a couple of things I noticed I wasn't convinced that's what was causing the oil burning, at least not all of it. I pulled the intake and the gaskets weren't stuck to the intake or head around cylinders 5 & 7 and 6 & 8. The gasket was saturated and dripping oil in that area. I could see where the oil was being sucked into the intake manifold too on the back 4 cylinders.

After I put it back together no smoke, at first. Then it started to smoke some on the passenger side again. I think that gasket may have slipped some when I put the intake on. So what do I do, try again with another stock thickness gasket? Don't remember if it was .030" or .040", or do I go with a thicker gasket this time. This engine has rectangular port heads and there is very little gasket in between the intake ports. Oval ports have a lot more gasket material around the ports.

The engine runs great, lot's of torque and just keeps pulling all the way through the rpm range. I just have to fix the oil burning.