is this fairly common to have the LT1 intake leak from the front? it might be also leaking from the back but i can't tell. car runs just fine just leaks a good deal of oil. is there anything it could really damage so long as i keep putting oil in it? i worry a little bit about it leaking on the opti but never really heard of oil taking one out. has been leaking for a while obviously but i just got the car. i'd like to hold off on doing this for a while, i've worked on cars too much lately to get motivated to do this PIA. however, this car may see some track time soon if the old lady wants to run it in some friday night beginner classes. i'm hoping the high revs won't push a lot more oil out!

what does a shop call for on replacement labor? I'm guessing about 6 hrs??

i usually figure it takes me about double the shop estimates.

all i need is gaskets for the sides and some RVT for front and back, right?

 

It's less common for leaks from the front of the intake manifold, but they can happen. If you take your intake elbow off you can get a good look undder the throttle body at the front of the intake manifold gasket. You should be able to tell if it's leaking there or not.

More common leaks on the front include,
Opti seal,
Water pump drive shaft seal,
Timing cover gasket,
Oil pan gasket.

Look at the front of the motor with the intake elbow removed and see how high up the oil starts. That's usually where the leak is.