I always use black RTV on the intake and cylinder head surfaces to seal the valley pan on my 440. The last one I removed looked like new. Is it safe to reuse them assuming I cleanup any of the old RTV and apply a new coating? Wasn't sure if they crush down during torquing making them a one and done part.

Many people have reused em. The sealing bead does crush some. With gasket cement I wouldn't be afraid to if my surfaces are flat/correct angle & the height of the head/intake V interface is correct (right amount of milling)

Is it the same intake and set of heads?

Yep...same intake and heads.

Put a new one on, don't chance it... also retighten it after it gets to temp.

there's always a balance and a trade off. Sure, we would all love to buy brand new stuff that's never been used because "why chance it?" but our wallets aren't always thick enough or pockets deep enough to support buying new stuff all the time.

If you bought a new valley pan, head bolts, head gaskets (of the shim type), valve cover gaskets, timing chains, etc. every time you tore your motor down for an inspection or a refresh, you'd be adding hundreds to the cost when the old stuff would probably work just fine.

It's your call, buy new or re-use the old. it's been done without issue before. It's also been done and leaked oil. --I've reused the pan multiple times. usually with good results, once it leaked because of a crack that I didn't see.

With iron heads and intake I wouldn't hesitate to re-use the valley pan.

I agree reuse it.Back in the day paying over 20 bucks for a new pan was pricey.That was about a days pay.Ive reused them quite a bit.Mine are always installed dry like factory.Only place for RTV is under the end rails and the corners.Ive been doing them since the 60s and no leaks.Rocky

Really...install them dry on the intake manifold and cylinder head surfaces? I always used black rtv on all sealing surfaces? Which is the proper method? I know it sure is hard to get the intake off when I use the rtv on all surfaces. For $13 I think I am just going to install a new one but am wonder what to rtv this time around. I have eddy aluminum heads if that makes a difference.

Mine's been off 3 times now with 2 different intakes. Eddy heads and Eddy intakes. No issues. I also put mine on dry...just a dab off RTV in the corners and the ends like Rocky said

I've reused mine many times. I use black or grey RTV on the ends with a generous dab in the corners. Around the ports I use hylomar which is now widely available again although it's slightly different (and it's called Permashield). I also use paper gaskets only on the head side. I've had no problems doing it this way.

But if you are worried about it, I wouldn't hesitate to spend $20 for the peace of mind. That said, it's a fairly easy gasket to replace if the you reuse the old one and something goes wrong.

Hope that clarifies things

I plan to re-squish mine, when I do the intake change. You'll know if it didn't seal! Intake changes are super-easy on BB Mopars.

<<story time>>

When I was a younger lad, I had a '71 Continental Mark III. It was "verrah nazz." I got an Edelbrock Performer for it, bolted it on (PITA on a 460...about 14 bolts, + water, + exhaust, + goofy rail caps, + you usually had to remove AT LEAST the distributor cap). Started it up and WHOOOOOSH! Vacuum leak (BAD ONE)! Bolted stock cast-iron anchor back onto it. Later discovered the car had DOOE-R heads (from a 429 Cobra Jet), they didn't play nice with the Performer. Hence the leak. If I spent as much time dating women back then as hanging over the engine bay of a 460, I might be a much, MUCH happier man right now.

<<end of story time>>

I have a couple of spare valley pans for my 440, though, just in case. A friend of mine told me that he has never replaced the one on his, and he's done many intake removals in the 8+ years I've known him.

Summit sells them for $13.97 and with my brother in laws business account discount I get it for less than that. Part# FEL-MS96000. This one doesnt have the heat crossover blocked off but with the eddy heads it doesnt matter.

Think I will give it a try dry this time around with rtv on ends and corners only.

I swapped intakes with a friend's 440. We unbolted, swapped, and had no problems. No sealer used.