AMC 360 Vally Pan Question

[86CJLA]

Hey guys, first post thanks for having me. I am in the process of putting a 86 AMC 360 back together and have a valley pan question. I have done a good bit of reading and searching here and other forums regarding the valley pan install. I am running the stock manifold. I am not going to be using the rubber front and rear seals but instead will be building up 2 beads of right stuff both 1/4 tall. I am using Permatex Ultra Grey around the water ports and Copper Spray Gasket around the air ports.

In the posts I found a few recommended running an additional bead of Permatex Ultra Grey around the intake bolt holes and edges of the valley pan. When I pulled the intake off this 360 it was also done this way.



I was a little curious so I called Permatex tech support and found out the the Ultra Grey will not bond in areas it comes in contact with the Copper Spray Gasket. So if you did do it like in the second picture there would still have to be little gaps between where the Copper and Ultra White meet which kind of defeats the point right?

So the question is... Any harm in doing this? Is it overkill since the raised areas of the valley pan push flat to seal?



Thanks!

[tufcj]

I've never had a problem using the spray copper/ultra gray, especially on a factory manifold. The center hole is an exhaust crossover, you don't want the ultra gray there. Just spray copper in the intake ports (yellow) and the exhaust crossover. Ultra gray around the water ports (4 corners, blue). Personally, I've never had a problem using the rubber end seals with a dab of ultra gray where they meet the head. If you use the right stuff, make sure to get it slightly up onto the head. Anything more is overkill, don't try to over think this.

Bob
tufcj

[msalaba]

Coppercoat is a heat conductor. Good for moving heat from the heads to the block. Moving heat to the intake manifold is not desireable. I would use hi-tack spray on the valley pan gasket @ intake/exhaust ports. Hi-tack is bassically coppercoat without the copper. Use ultra gray for the water ports and ultra black (or Right Stuff) at the manifold ends if not using the rubber end gaskets. If you cut a V notch in the applicator tube for the ultra black, you can lay a 1/2" tall bead.