Jeez. Never thought to loosen them. Guess I'll get a new gasket, make sure the pan isn't warped. Finger tighten until snug and let it sit for a day. From what I can find, the torque spec is 11ft/lbs. I'm way tighter than that now.
Thanks Chief.
1957 Thunderbird 289 1967 Firebird Base 461 1968 C-20 327