I have a replacement spider now thanks to Simon Crook, just to be on the safe side. So when I get around to it I will follow advice given, pretty sure it will be spot on then

My little saga is over, I put on a replacement manifold over the last two days, ensured the surfaces were flat, cleaned up the mating surfaces on the exhaust pieces under the bonnet. Took my time and it is whisper quiet now. For now at least. I even put the heater on and didn't instantly choke. The car sounds so different.

All advice was much appreciated. Big thanks to Simon Crook for the manifold too

Just a slight leak has reappeared from the pushrod seal, looks like the rearmost offside. I had a bit of a careful poke at the tensioning spring, and the metal cup which is against the seal but it didn't stop the leak.
Its only a few drips every now and then, being that its an old car, I may just leave it for fear of buggering something else up. Lol..

A new breather might hep I suppose. Mine isn't very old but hmmm. Is there an easy way to test for good vacuum without a manometer?

I would have thought a manometer made from a piece of clear tubing with some LHM in it is about as easy as it gets.

I've just been reading about those, didn't realise it wasn't an expensive piece of equipment, lol.

Oil is getting on the brake disc, I'll have to get on it when I get the car home. I wonder if the high wind and high speed made it blow back like that. I need to get it sorted though.

Oddly it almost doesn't seem to be coming from the pushrods area. I guess it's just being deceptive though.

Cleaned it up for now.

That really sounds like banjo joint leaking at the front of the cylinder on the oil feed line......

I kind of hoped it was just that but unfortunately not. It's tight and dry.
It's as if it's coming from above the pushrod area but it might be just being blown around or something.

I'm hoping it's going to be the breather. When I get home I'll have to try this manometer thing. Breather is probably 8 years old so it's likely enough. I'll be pleased if its just that.

It's not the crankshaft oil seal is it? That can get blown by the fan every which way too......

Not that I've noticed. I had all the fan and stuff off recently. I will have to double check that though.

Normally it's about four drips after the car has stopped, but I realised after this long journey it's still doing it in motion. A little bit was splashed onto the flywheel too, getting on the nose of the starter slightly.

I've cleaned the brakes with spray but it's still pulling to one side a little. Going to pop the wing off again and see if I can see a track since I've cleaned the area fairly well.