Valley Pan Paint

I've been contemplating a intake manifold swap and have a stupid question. Would painting the valley plan on the top side before installation cause any issues with sealing on the gasket surfaces or any other issues?

I'll be installing the intake with the motor in the car and would prefer not to have to tape things up and spray paint with everything installed. Not to mention I don't know what type of coverage you can get with so many things in the way.

there are no stupid questions. I would without a doubt paint it seperately & not get paint on the port openings relying instead on my choice of gasketing/sealer for sealing there. As you know std paint prep (prep is 90% of a successful job) & picking the correct paint/primer etc as needed (I ain't a painter).

I'd "avoid" painting the ports but I wouldn't bother masking it. A little overspray in the port area won't do any harm at all.

Also, IIRC aluminum intakes are supposed to be installed with two "paper" gaskets per side - one under the valley pan and one on top.

No paint on the ports.Since the 60s Ive never used paper on any intakes aluminum or iron.Just a bit of silicone in the 4 corners and a bit under the frt and rear hold downs.Never any problems.Rocky

I paint mine before installation, and always use thin paper gaskets so it's done once and without any vacuum leaks. I lightly glue them to the tray on both sides. A dab of silicone at the 4 corners, and a light smear on the front & rear walls. I hate leaks & seepage. There have been a few guys on here who've skipped the paper gaskets & had issues.

There are also a bunch of guys that never used the paper gaskets and never had a problem. I'm one of them.

Thanks for the replied guys.

The intake on it right now has gaskets on either side of the pan but, in the past, we've put them on without gaskets. I will say, the last pan I removed from a 383 showed signs on leakage between the ports. I will probably use gaskets again when I change the intake.

I would mockup & check the bolt hole alignment cuz with deck height tolerances stackup plus past milling You may need the gaskets just for best/correct alignment fitment (.015 and .030 are available).. Myself I prefer em for sealing but like Stump said many people including Ma did not use em (& even reused em) & have no issues.

Somewhere I recall, Ma Mopar practiced this same tactic at one time. Not positive I am remembering correctly

You are correct.

Same here.

Since the 60s Ive never took apart a factory intake that had paper.All were just the pans.Rock
y

Four in a set and they are not paper,what do you suppose these are for ?

Well the key word there is "factory" ... no paper gaskets used with iron intakes BUT Ma Mopar recommended them for ALL aluminum intakes. I suspect factory aluminum six packs would have had them.

They are included in case the heads or block have been shaved and are no longer in stock specs. With a stock set up Ma Mopar didn't need any paper gaskets and neither should you.

Ive run aluminum intakes since the 60s.Never a problem with just tins.My 440 now runs both heads and intake.Just tins no paper.been that way for at least 10 years.Rocky

I have restored and owned several 69 1/2 road runners and bees. None have had anything but metal pan.

Actually, if you shave the block & heads the paper gaskets won't even fit..... ask me how I know.

I have run them WITHOUT the valley pan (I cut it so the metal around the intake ports is gone) & silicone the edge of the pan to the heads. I may be doing that again this summer.

I have always used just the tin itself with cast iron heads with cast iron intake, aluminum intake and aluminum heads with aluminum intake. I did have to "port" the tin to match the cnc port work of my stealths. I use a little Permatex Right Stuff around each port. Never an issue....other than when my dumb a$$ torqued it down with the oil pressure wire under it! LOL!

My recollection is the paper gaskets were released as part of a service fix for a small batch of manifolds that were mis-machined and the manifold to head face not in the same plane. I'll look and see if I can find the service bulletin. I think if you look at any of the factory packages you will see a date after June or July of 1969 That's why you likely will never see a factory built vehicle with the gasket. I have personally seen no less than two factory manifolds out of flat by over .015".

Iv always painted my pan with clear. (Like the clean look) I paint the whole thing. No gaskets with alum intake (or even with steel) light film of rtv. Around ports. Never a leak