304 valley pan gasket

[hex]

hello,

i have a stoopid question but i have searched the internet and STILL can't get a clear explanation....

i have a long block 304 that i am transfering parts from the old 304 to the new block. when i took off the intake manifold i was surpised to see a thin metal diaphram covering the block. i have since learned that this is called a "valley pan" but i have no clue as to the purpose of it.

that said, during my build up of the new block... is it possible to reuse this valley pan? can i omit the valley pan all together and just use standard intake gaskets?

any help/advice would be GREATLY appreciated!!

[tufcj]

Some people reuse them, but a used pan can leak. For the $20 a new one costs, is it worth the aggravation?

You should have one in there, it's there for 2 reasons. 1st is to keep oil from splashing on the bottom of the manifold, which is heated from the exhaust crossover. 2nd is to keep oil from being sucked into the PCV at the back of the manifold.

When installing the valley pan, I generally use copper spray gasket around the intake ports, and black or gray RTV around the water ports at the front and rear (both sides). I have never had any trouble using the rubber end gaskets as long as the block is clean. Some people like to toss the rubber gaskets and use a thick bead of RTV.

Bob
tufcj

[ironman_gq]

I tried the rubber gaskets and they squeezed out so now I just use a thick bead of rtv to seal the ends. I definately recommend the valley pan cause if you dont use it your asking for a lot of problems. make sure you torque the intake evenly and in stages so the gasket will seal completely and make sure the mating surfaces on the intake and heads are very clean.

[hex]

in regards to installing a new valley pan do i put RTV sealant on both sides of the pan?

the new block came with intake gaskets (but not the pan) should i discard these alltogether?

thank you very much for the wealth of information and the patience to put up with my noobie questions :roll:

[BREK]

I use Mr.Gasket intake gaskets in place of the valley pan, along with a good bead of silicone on the ends. Some people say oil can push thru the pcv valve which mine does ever so slightly (if you're not using the valleypan type gasket).

When I was using a valleypan gasket all I used was a small bead of silicone on both sides of the pan along with indian head sealent around all of the ports. This worked fine I just wanted to try the Mr. Gasket setup.

[BREK]

I use Mr.Gasket intake gaskets in place of the valley pan, along with a good bead of silicone on the ends. Some people say oil can push thru the pcv valve which mine does ever so slightly (if you're not using the valleypan type gasket).

When I was using a valleypan gasket all I used was a small bead of silicone on both sides of the pan along with indian head sealent around all of the ports. I did have a little leakage issue with this setup so I went to the Mr. gasket setup.