440 Valley Cover for Stock Six Pack (Dual Plane) Intake?

[PurpleBeeper]

Does anyone know where I can get a valley pan cover that will clear a stock dual plane 440 six pack intake manifold? Am I stuck with a "trim my own" made out of a factory type intake bath tub gasket?

I have iron heads on the engine now & will hopefully be switching to the original open-chamber Edelbrock heads (RPM?).

Thanks for Any Leads!

 

[RemCharger]

If you're talking about clearance for the heat crossover.. I think 440 source makes one.
Didn't hear stellar reports on them, but no personal experience.

 

[493 Mike]

Am I missing something here? Why would trimming be needed on a stock intake gasket? My 493 stroker with Edelbrock RPM heads fits fine. I do use the paper gaskets (4).
Mike

 

[RemCharger]

I was mistaken, the source pan only clears the eddy rpm manifold.
Agree with 493 Mike, not sure why the stock pan isn't a bolt on.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Well, the iron heads/iron intake on there now fit tight. I "think" the block was milled .040" and the heads milled and unknown amount. I had to mill .020" off the head face of the intake and it "barely" bolts up with just a factory bathtub intake gasket....just barely.

I'm worried that if I swap out the heads and intake (to aluminum/aluminum) I might run into a similar intake manifold alignment problem & this time, I can't afford to have the engine apart for long waiting for parts to come back from the machine shop.... I need to swap the heads/intake in one weekend.

I know that if the new unmilled aluminum intake sits "down in the valley" with the aluminum heads, I can just add one set of paper intake manifold gasket....maybe even two set (top/bottom) if I need to, no problem.

However, with the new aluminum heads & aluminum intake line up with the intake "too high in the valley" (like I have now with iron/iron that required me to mill .020" off the intake to even bolt it up) it would be a problem

To make sure that doesn't happen, I figured I could use a valley cover. That allows me to put the intake as far "down in the valley" as possible (without intake milling) and I could use just a single paper intake gasket on each side. I'm sort of thinking a single paper gasket on each side might seal well also.

Problem...the valley covers all look like they're made for single plane intakes. Once a long time ago I cut a bathtub gasket and made my own, cheap, thin valley pan cover. I used gobs and gobs of RTV to seal it. I'm hoping there's a better option now. fyi-I want to run a factory aluminum 440 six pack intake with Edlebrock open chamber heads (RPM? the early ones)

 

[davek]

isnt that the reason they have the inner gasket to rise the intake so the bolts line up? I milled my intake do to block was planed and bolts would not line up.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

"supposedly" those paper gaskets lifted the intake up. In reality, I could never get those paper gaskets to fit. I always needed to have the intake farther down.

 

[diesel_lv]

Here's the best way to check. Time consuming, but accurate.
https://www.streetmusclemag.com/tech-stories/hermetically-sealed-how-to-check-intake-manifold-seal/

 

[dvw]

The stock tray doesn't fit due to milling? Then adding paper gaskets will only make it worse. Any milling of the heads or deck brings the heads down and closer together. Thus the intake is too wide and sits up too high. Solutions; If it's close you can grind the intake manifold bolt holes downward. I just had to to do this on an assembled engine. Only took .060". The front and rear china wall may still be to high some creative tapping of the tray will get it to bend down. Did that as well. Otherwise it's milling time.
Doug

 

[BSB67]

However, with the new aluminum heads & aluminum intake line up with the intake "too high in the valley"

To make sure that doesn't happen, I figured I could use a valley cover. That allows me to put the intake as far "down in the valley" as possible (without intake milling) and I could use just a single paper intake gasket on each side. I'm sort of thinking a single paper gasket on each side might seal well also.

If you have a fitment issue because of deck milling, a valley plate will not help.

Take your aluminum heads to a shop like you did with the iron heads. Have them milled 0.060” on the intake face. Get two sets of 0.015” and 0.030” intake gaskets. You”ll have everything you”ll need to make them fit perfectly.

Or elongate the holes, as mentioned.

I’ve done it both ways several times.

 

[33 IMP]

I'm slightly confused. Did you mill the intake face of the heads, or mill the intake manifold?

 

[lewtot184]

you could make something.

 

[Master Gunner]

As per the Direct Connection engine manual, for every .010 taken off the the face (head or block) .012 needs to be taken off the intake side or the intake manifold. I've always done all the machining to the heads if possible, so I don't have a intake that only fits a certain set of heads.

Mark

 

[BSB67]

I'm slightly confused. Did you mill the intake face of the heads, or mill the intake manifold?

Intake face of the heads

 

[lewtot184]

seems like nobody considers the end rails on the block after head milling/block clean-up milling. on a new build i try to target this. makes a noticeable difference in how the valley pan gasket fits.

 

[33 IMP]

OR, you could do something like mine...... (NO, I did NOT do this!).

 

[PurpleBeeper]

If you have a fitment issue because of deck milling, a valley plate will not help.

Take your aluminum heads to a shop like you did with the iron heads. Have them milled 0.060” on the intake face. Get two sets of 0.015” and 0.030” intake gaskets. You”ll have everything you”ll need to make them fit perfectly.

Or elongate the holes, as mentioned.

I’ve done it both ways several times.

Well, the one thing it would help is that I wouldn't be using the factory-style valley pan intake gasket...ONLY one pair of paper gaskets to seal the intake. I've done that once in the 80's before aftermarket valley covers were available. I cut up the factory valley pan & used a bunch of RTV silicone.... it worked