I think you may have answered your own question. SLOW DOWN! Seriously, take your time getting things lined up and in order, make sure everything is clean before reassembly then relubed appropriatly. On the timing if you have the cover off, make 100% sure that the crank keys are at 12 oclock, the cam dowel also at 12'oclock, slide the gears on without the crank or cam moving. With that done, start bolting stuff back together. If the head gasket isnt ripped where it goes out over the timing cover, then you have an issue of misalignment (something aint flush) causing the oil leak. Take the time to lay a strait adge along the block crossing the timing cover...they MUST be perfectly flush or it wont seal and I can guarentee a failed head gasket will follow. Your record times for Head R&R are great but your quality of work is dropping. Kinda like the old saying...Measure twice and cut once.

~Darin <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" />