I am fixing an intake manifold leak... and right now I have the manifold and the valley pan off.

There was no gaskets installed, just a valley pan. FelPro says I should install gaskets, then the valley pan, then the 2nd pair of gaskets.

But what i really want to know if is, if the poower is way down, how can I tell if my cam is wiped?

Or....How can I tell if timing chain is stretched.... or the previous owner of the 440 didnt dial in the cam right?

thnx
John

First off, wheres the leak? MA Mopar never installed additional gaskets with the valley pan, why should you? On your cam lobes, just look at each one , if it looks like it's been ground on then the cam is junk along with the lifter. Timing chain stretch, they all stretch some.Unless you have 50,000 miles on it, it should be OK You need a degree wheel and the cam specs to tell how the cam is installed .

The FSM, which you should have at hand, has the spec for timing chain stretch and how to check.


As for the cam being dialed in, there are probably 10000 write ups on the internet detailing how to do it with video, audio, text and probably even in crayon. Find one.

Three different answers, #1 look at the lobes, especially the top of them for wear , pitting, rounded off and see if the bottom of the lifters look okay.
DO NOT mixed or switch the lifters from lobe to lobe
#2 On checking the chain stretch with the valley pan off take a wrench or socket on the big crankshaft bolt and rock the crank back and forth and watch the camshaft, if it moves right away your good, if not you have chain stretch
#3 The only way I know of on checking the cam timing and cam lobe separation angle is to check it yourself BTW., a retarded cam will suck power big time on BB and most all and any other Mopar V8
As far as using the fibre intake gaskets on your motor is their oil sucked into the intake ports from the lifter valley? If not you don't need the gaskets
If so use them , one on each side at a time to see if you need one or not I always put and use them on the head surface first under the valley pan and then, if needed, on top of the valley pan
If you put to thick of gaskets and valley pan the intake manifolds bolts won't go in or go in really hard
Good luck Let us know your results please

Aside from a visual & what the guys said, more info please, power always down/all of a sudden? what speed pieces on the eng. tune up good? WOT or daily driver power down? If you can fit the thin .015 side gaskets (one on either side of the valley pan on each side (4) total) I would use em.

With a wiped cam, it's mostly just one lobe that gets wiped. This results in an engine running like it's missing a cylinder.
If the wear gets big enough there will also be lifter ticking-noise which will become louder every time the engine is run.

Power down with a smooth running engine could be a lot of things.
Most likely causes;
Vacuum leak, ignition timing issues, bad carb tune, wrongly installed (or not degreed) cam, worn piston rings.

A vacuum gauge can tell a whole lot more of where to look for issues.

Like Robert said , if the gaskets fit use them

I let the engine build , heads , aftermarket intake dictate the use of gaskets

No , they didn't install gaskets from the factory , but everything was also brand new , everything


Compression test also will give you good information

Flat tappet cams and lifters:
A camshaft doesn't fail halfway. It is either OK or it's not. Look at the bottom of each lifter. If there is any sign of damage to the bottom of the lifter it is toast and so is the cam. It will be immediately obvious. Another way is to hold two lifters bottom to bottom and try to rock them. You should be able to rock them as each end is supposed to be convex.

A good lifter looks polished and may have a small darker ring bout halfway in from the outside. Lifters are supposed to spin.

R.