SR20 valve cover question

[Tom25666]

the other day when i got home i noticed that right after i turn my car off you could hear a suction/whistling type sound for about 1 sec, and then a bubbling/gurgling sound for about 1/2 sec. i got to looking around, checked all my vacuum lines/hoses, and then tracked the sound down to the intake side of my valve cover. i noticed that one of the bolt holes on the valve cover was broken (see pic). it has been that way since the swap, about a year now, but maybe the gasket finally broke down or something? sounds like it is coming from closer to the front of the engine but i don't know what else it would be.
my question is would a bad seal from the valve cover cause this type of sound? the engine seems to be lacking power every now and then, but most of the time it's good.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj66/chickenheadFoSho/DSCF5003.jpg
redtop, t25, smic, recirc bov, 370cc, stock maf, no a/c,

[bl3ujay07]

I had a leaking valve cover gasket and it was making like a small suction sound after the car shuts off. After replacing, the sound is gone, and my front cover aint got any more oil on it.

[Ceepo]

get a new valve cover and gasket and go from there... or try and repair that one... get a better seal on the head...

[blk86]

Goodluck repairing that one.. i'd recommend getting a new one.
If you were to fix it, it's just break when you would tighten down the bolt.

just my .2cents

[burnsauto]

that can EASILY be repaired by a machine shop that does aluminum welding, that way after the repair it they can mill it flat so it fits flush and acts just as the original did