HELP!!! COOLANT WATERFALL!!

Hmm, I never did it without releasing the other side. You had to really get the head up and under the intake to seat the dowel, like 35 ft/lbs tight......Im thinking the steel gaskets just never recovered. Id remove the intake and get some $12 MLS intake gaskets, Felpro or similar. Then retorque the head (Gasket is probably still good) and then retorque the intake int he proper "center out" pattern. Thats a pretty important torque sequence.