I used RTV just to make sure I was not leaking from valve cover gaskets.

I would first pull the valve covers and make sure those gaskets are seated if you have metal covers. 
I had a major leaked and they had moved over time and just wept a lot. 

I been trying to chase down a oil leak going into the rear main area. While further investigation oil leak is coming from driver's side head between head & engine block meet by oil return passage (closer to firewall). I'm pretty sure engine was not decked but heads were decked. I have re-seated head with new gasket and used copper seal spray, but I guess is not enough. Has anyone experience this issue and a possible fix? 

Quote from: thomasso on 2024-04-20 19:31I see the blue valve covers now.  However I cant remember any Y blocks with blue covers.  Again I could be wrong. Is the filter a direct screw on or does it have an adapter?

The filter is a direct screw I think that started in 57

Of course, who knows what may or may not have been changed on a over 65 year old engine over time, but in the photos, the intake and exhaust manifolds, and carb all indicate 1955 or 56, the distributor could also help narrow the year down, but again, only if parts haven`t been replaced over the many years. I don`t put too much faith in trying to ID parts by paint colors of such old parts, that have likely been repainted after all those years.

Quote from: geraldchainsaw on 2024-04-17 18:19OK,  CHANGED OIL,  used O'Reillys full syn 20 weight ...

Full synthetic is always your best bet. Don't know why you decided to use 20 weight but I'm pretty sure that you should be using 5-30 or 10-30 oil. You didn't do your engine any favors by using 50 weight oil, that's really bad for cold starts. A 'cold start' doesn't mean a start-up in the winter. It's a start-up any time that an engine is started when it's not already warmed up from being run for a while.
I've read up on a lot of oil & oil filter testing & have been using Mobil 1 full synthetic 5-30 in most things. Tests showed that Mobil 1 & Redline full synthetics are two of the best.

I see the blue valve covers now.  However I cant remember any Y blocks with blue covers.  Again I could be wrong. Is the filter a direct screw on or does it have an adapter?

As you can see the valve covers were painted ford blue then painted yellow .
The block has a screw on oil filter so I thought it would be a newer engine .
 It came out of an estate he had 56=56 fords . the intakes and exhaust can be interchanged.
Its hard to tell what year and model it came from. 

Quote from: thomasso on 2024-04-20 11:29Its very hard to tell much about a Y block by pictures.  This one looks to me like like maybe 55-56 Mercury.  As I recall Mercury as having Yellow valve covers.  And the teapot 4bbl was not used after 56 except on E and F code cars. 312s used the flat top exhaust manifolds at least in 57. Of course I could be all wrong.

I believe you're right.  My thought was a 56 Mercury!  IIRC the Teapot signifies a narrow bolt pattern  "A" manifold.

I went to Hershey about 40 years ago, really more than that I can't remember. We spent about three days looking at parts. It rained continually. I'm still wet. I've never seen anything like that since. I'd like to go again but I'm getting too old and I don't have any money. Oh well ,lets go haul some shine. yeehaa