valve covers, engine rebuild, other stuff

[vancelot69]

Is it possible to find OE style valve covers, or am I only going to be able to find chrome ones that don't seal right?

I'm asking because I have a huge oil leak, Last week I checked the oil, and it wasn't registering on the dipstick, so I added two quarts to get it in the cross hatch, then drove about 80 miles, and it's already off the dipstick again. And, while I don't think the valve covers are the worst leak, I'm pretty sure they are leaking pretty badly, so I want to get rid of them and get some OE style if I can. Thing is, I don't know exactly where the worst of the oil leak is either. I'm pretty sure the timing cover and seal are leaking as well, but I don't know if they are the worst leak either. It could also be leaking from the head gaskets too. I also thought rear main seal, but the flywheel and bell housing are relatively dry.

So, I was thinking that maybe I should just rebuild the engine, like get one of the "re-ring kits" with gaskets from Summit Racing or something, they seem pretty cheap there. Or rebuild a 454 my dad has sitting around. If I were to rebuild my engine, how would I know if it's been bored out, like, how do I know what size main bearings to get? The previous owner didn't mention anything like that.

What all is involved in an engine rebuild? I always thought it was essentially what is in those re-ring kits - rings, main bearings, and gaskets, and maybe reseating the valves.

Thanks in advance for any input.