Nah, it was the right seal.

The pressure in the valve cover and the pan will be equal. Also we used to hook springs over the dipsticks to keep them from walking themselves out. I don't think crankcase pressure is the problem.

Used to see this all the time. I assume they are stamped timing covers? Not genuine GM? Or maybe even genuine. Take a look and I bet you will see the bore in the cover has a little taper to it.

Solved it by wire brushing a new seal to remove whatever coating was on it, then install using Loctite Retaining Compound. Use an arbor press and support the cover properly so it goes in straight.

If you do the math on the actual surface area of the seal exposed to pressure it's not very much. You have to subtract the area occupied by the crank. And yes I think you would pop a breather out before anything else. It's been a while but I think 2-3 CFM is a about what the blow by should be. And you cannot even feel that coming out the breathers.

Yea, stock GM valve covers. And that's what is coming out the valve covers, basically nothing, at idle that is. I'll clean all the coating off and use the green retaining Loctite but probably plan on destroying the TC cover if I ever have to replace the seal, that stuff is bad news. If it's not pressure then why are my dipsticks being pushed out only when my VC breathers are saturated?

It's like they are vibrating out because there's no oil residue anywhere near the tube.

Yep, they are vibrating out. You could always try a run without one and run a hose from the dipstick tube up to a pressure gauge at the dash just to take a look and see what's really there for pressure.

If you ever have to remove the seal use a heat gun - softens the LT real nice :)

I may be wrong but I don't think you'd get an accurate reading of crankcase pressure at the dipstick tube because its submerged in oil. And you'd have to have a high dollar gauge to read pressure that low I'd think, but again I may be full of sh!t. I have been before, on more than one occasion actually.
Dude, I used that LT to take up slack in a worn pillar block bearing some years ago. Last I knew it was still in service.

I use a small punch and put a few punch marks around the front seal in the cover to help tighten it up a bit. If I get a front seal that has the sealant around it I wipe it with lacquer thinner to activate the sealant and they seam to hold better. Never silicone a seal in that has the sealant on the seal. Been there done that they don't work together. I have the cheap K&N breathers on my 632 and at 6000 rpm not a drop of oil out of the motor. Breathers are out of the box with nothing stuffed inside. Now my aluminum power steering reservoir that's another story. Once it gets warm my bildge looks like murder.

Yep, the LT is amazing. Better living through chemistry :)

As far as the pressure, yes you are correct it should be almost un-measurable as long as there are breathers. The gauge will read whatever pressure there is no problem. The effect of the oil in the dipstick is 0 for all practical purposes as the pressure is the same at all points as long as there is no flow.

So - the pressure in the crankcase is most likely not the problem for either the seal or the dipstick. Checking it with a gauge would prove that if there is any doubt.

assuming this is a gen VI BB the front seal/cover has no inner stop(pain in the ass) I would try a GM seal and use some RTV around the outer edge...it's also very hard to try to put the seal in without the tool..good luck, Rob

It's a Gen IV, should have mentioned that up front.