Oil leak...and cause

[Indiana Jones]

I just spent the weekend battling an oil leak in my race bike engine(RVF).
Thought I solved the problem when I resealed my rocker cover gasket with lashings of shellac.
Managed to finish all my races with the leak slowly returning.
Lucky I didn't get black flagged in the last race,engine oil was burning off my rear manifold but not making it to the tyre, I was determined to finish the weekends racing rather than retire.
Just went investigating this morning and found my problem.....I'm still amazed.
While I was doing my valve clearances,a cup head allen stud found it's way into the rocker cover breather pipe and blocked it completly,perfect fit.
So I spent the weekend racing with seriously pressurised crankcases.
To be honest,I think the bike was going better.
Was my compression improved due to this?
Surely the c/c pressure would negate this?
Any ideas?

[mick.mh2racing]

I'd say you had a lucky escape mate. I'd have thought with a blocked breather you could incur serious engine failure. And with oil leaking potentially onto your tyre, you're a braver man than me my friend.

[thunderace]

When I were a lad, shellac was all the rage

Don't see it so much nowadays