Received my Indy plate today from Bill Brewbaker(Barnstorm)and retro-fit it to my 440 with Edelbrock RPM heads. I also pulled out my Superformance intake gaskets ,and retro-fit them as well! NICE gaskets! Looks like the plate is going to work out! The widest gap is on the drivers side(front of motor)but it's only .150...nothing the Right Stuff can't handle! I'd like to thank Bob George andJeff@Modern Cylinder for their info on doing this,and Bill,for selling me the plate at a VERY reasonable cost,I might add! Here are a few pics of the plate and gaskets on the motor.

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I almost forgot...almost. When I'm not doing fix a family car for free day I have been working late. But, I have some stuff in stock.

That's a hell of a gap to be pumping silicone into!

Stanton..I guess others have done it with success! I'll be using the Right Stuff,and make sure it sets up before putting everything back together!

looks to be only about 1/16" gap to me

Randy, you will wonder why you didn't do away with the stock valley pan earlier

So why is this better than A stock tin pan ? I have eddy heads and a stock pan seems to work well

The stock tin pans work great til you port the heads, then it is time consuming to port the pan to match, but it works.

I have the Indy plate also but I paid a machine shop to cut it down the center in half. Now it's easy to remove/install with the heads on. A couple weeks ago I had to replace one head gasket so I just removed one side of the valley plate. Mine has the same size gaps as yours and I've sealed it up with grey or black RTV with no problems. It might be too hard to remove down the road if you use the 'Right Stuff'.

Did you set the intake on there to see if it hits the Indy plate?

Glad it will work for ya...MSP to Michigan and intalled in 22 hrs...

Bill..that WAS a pretty fast delivery! That just proves a government-run agency can actually come through once in a while! Vern,I had the same thing happen 3 yrs. ago...paper gaskets deteriorated,and oil was being sucked into the intake ports! NOT GOOD! Re-did it using tin valley gasket and paper gaskets again. Was fine until just recently! I noticed oil on the threads and insulator,also on the strap! Plugs were oil-fouled terribly! It's a wonder it even started,and ran! It also had a noticeable miss at idle! Pulled the intake...same as last time! Oil got through to the ports AGAIN! Last straw for me! A lot of you guys have NEVER had this issue...all I can say is Good for You! Dave,before I dabbed some silicon on the intake gaskets and lightly "bolted" them into position,I dropped the M-1 down on the heads with gaskets in between,and there was no interference with the plate! Sean(Hardcore B)suggested I slot the bolt holes on the plate to even the gap on both sides...since it's wider on the right! GREAT idea that will be done! Thanks Sean! He thinks the gap is no big deal as well,and HIGHLY recommends using the Right Stuff..which I plan on doing! Thank You ALL for your help on this little X-periment! Keeping my fingers crossed this will solve the oil issue! RandyB

So why is there gaps on the sides at all?
Isn't the valley tray wide enough to cover the valley?
I have a 440 with ported Edel. rpm's.
I am going to make my own valley tray.
Easy weekend project with cnc mill and a
piece of alum.

David..I guess there are gaps because the plate was designed for Indy heads...not Edelbrock. Good thing you're a machinist,and have access to a cnc machine! Let us know how your plate works out!

I do the same type of thing with the Mopar tin pan because I run a manifold with a heat cross over.

Lookin' good Randy! I've got some HUGE gaps in mune and used The Right stuff with excellent results. As was mentioned earlier, did your intake clear the edges of the valley cover? My intake had to be ground slightly in a couple of spots.

Randy

That looks great ! The right stuff will seal that up no problemo

Wait until you get the heads back from porting before sealing it up though



Ron

Ron,unfortunately,the budget won't allow the porting this winter! I have some other issues to resolve! Replacing windows on the house is the BIG one! NOT CHEAP! But..it has to be done! The builder sure didn't go top shelf on them when he built our "humble dwelling"! LOL!!! Also, the TTI's have to be re-coated and the front bumper has to be re-chromed...not to mention buying a carburetor!