Intake gasket @ ported heads ???

Putting my top end back together. Stealth heads are now CNC ported. In the past, the stock stamped valley pan worked just fine. Now the port windows are larger, so the stamped valley pan is out (I believe). So I’m soliciting experience from what others have done.

My assumption is to cut the intake gasket portion of stock valley pan off, leaving a short tab at the bend. Then silicone the joint from that to paper gaskets cut to match the port. (????). Am I close?

What have others had success with?

Nah-nah nah-nah nah-nah nah-nah nah! BAT WINGS!

DISCLAIMER: I have not used these parts myself, but believe what you described is exactly what they've been designed for.

Ive ported my pan gasket to match as well. Unless your ports are waay bigger then the pan gaskets now.

Bat wings are my solution to that issue. I've been selling quite a few of them since they came out and they seem to be working. I've used them on several engines myself over the last year and they work great as long as you are careful with the RTV. Too much is bad, too little is bad. You have to lay down just enough RTV to seal the wing to the center section without squeezing a bunch of excess down into the engine.

I have the same issue , CNC Stealths .For the past few years I have ported the valley pan openings and gaskets to suit . On the new 505 I am still getting a little oil pulling through into intake on 1 cylinder , didn't have this on the 440 , 2nd time around.
I have bought Andys batwings and a selection of Superformance gaskets plus the Trickflow valley plate . I will be fitting these in the next couple of months , earlier maybe .
I think the ports on the batwings may need to be opened a little .
I know against the Felpro intake gaskets the Source port is bigger.

Tex

PS : I tried cutting the pan like you suggest , no luck keeping it sealed

Yes thats exactly what we did many moons ago on my 440SP motor when we damaged the intake part of the tray. Cut it off leaving just enough to go under the paper gasket slightly, no silicon, worked a treat no probs, race car only.

Take a hard look at the heads and valley pan, if you have to remove less than .100 on all four side of it(the valley pan intake ports), trim it If it has more than that then use some good gaskets and a valley pan
I need to buy and try some of AndyF AR engr. bat wings to see exactly how they work
Dang Ma Mopar engrs. for designing the B and RB motors needing stamp steel intake valley pans, what a pain to seal up properly

Just turned up . Looks pretty neat with a drop out centre

Tex

I trimmed the pan and used paper on both sides of the pan. The paper/pan combo will last several intake swaps, and when I think I need new paper, I'll still use the same pan. Trimming the paper is easier than the pan imo.

For those who have “ported” the pan gasket windows, how did you go about this?

Dremel or carbide bit

Tex

Aircraft tin snips
The brand name escape me now, I can look in the tool box for the name of them in the morning if you want it
It is a common brand name tool, nothing exotic
I did try a high speed dremel air cutter tool once with a fine carbide bit and the vibrations and noise made me use the snips instead

When a stock valley pan is cut and "bat wings" are used to seal the intake, my experience has been not if it will leak, it's when it will start leaking. Especially the rear corners. I have had little to no issues using the stock valley pan and trimming the intake ports with a high speed Christmas tree shaped double cut carbide bit. If the heads are off I bolt the valley pan to one head, align the pan and cut the pan to match the intake port on the head then switch to the other head. Done

If the heads are already installed, use a thick bat wing intake gasket and align the gasket to the valley pan, outline the metal on the valley pan that needs to be trimmed with Dykem or a Sharpie, remove the bat wing gasket and trim away.........

I used tin snips too. Do 1 opening at a time. Just go slow and make small nibbles (BITES / CUTS) when cutting. Then bolt it back on and see if it needs more taken off.

When your done it will be twisted badly. Just lay it on garage floor and carefully flatten it out with hammer.

Mine only had .040 left on top after cutting.

I Used it on a max wedge port. Block was heavily decked and heads milled a LOT!

I reused it several times after.
You will need paper gaskets on both sides too.

The heads are off the motor right now, so I guess I’ll take a shot at using the head as a port template and trim the valley pan window. If I ruin the pan, then I’ll just go back to plan A and trim the windows off, mate it to a paper gasket with silicone, and wait for the leak. I just hope I don’t scar up the nice new ports too badly.

I wish I had the budget for a valley plate setup, but I’m at the end of an expensive winter and the dollars are all gone.

Thanks All!

I prefer to have the heads on the motor with its head gaskets. That way you can see where You actually need to clearance the pan gasket at the ports.

Do one port at a time, put it on, you can press it on by hand and try you best to mark that port with a marker. Shave and recheck, until that ports fit is how you like, then move to the next. Make sure you press fit the pan to the same spot every time. I even Pinned mine to the head at all four corners, two on each bank.

I used a dremmel as well and maybe even some cutters. Use a Fine dremmel bit as if it is to rough, it can Grab the flimsy pan gasket and bend it. Most times you can bend it back to original shape no problem. But, you really want to Not have to do that if you can.

Ive never had to restart with a new pan gasket.


Edit, I don't shave the gasket while its On the head. That's just to check the fitment after marking it and shaving it.

That looks good Tex. Guess it will be right and work for Indy heads as well.

Not sure I imagine it will as the TF270 has a raised intake

Tex

Just take your time and take full swipes with light pressure on the carbide bit and you will be fine. You can mock up the heads on the block with the head gaskets in place and trace the bolt holes on the valley pan to the heads with a scribe if you want to make sure the geometry is dead nuts on. The need to mock up like that is when you don’t know how much metal was removed off the deck or how much metal was removed of the heads. Depending on the head gasket used, the metal that was removed off the deck or heads can be made up with head gasket thickness.
I just center the bolt holes on the valley pan to the head and bolt the valley pan down with short bolts with washers then start cutting. If your not steady with your hands or have doubts than I would have someone who does this type of work all the time do the cutting

Thanks for the tips, Dave. While I don’t have experience porting heads, I’m good with a tool in my hand. I’ll handle it.