All,

I and my brother are restoring / rebuilding a 1968 Oldsmobile 442 with a 1968 445 engine. We have done quite a bit of wrench turning on "GM" based products over the years (Mainly Chev) and I am now looking for some information on the 455.

The engine has been totally tore down with a line bore as we used a new crank, rods and pistons. Have had the heads re-done with all new valves, re-ground all the seals, ported and polished as well.

We are now in the final assembly of the motor and have installed a new cam with new lifters, & push rods as well, and now brings my question, I am using an after market "edelbrock intake manifold and have questions on the valley pan installed in engine under the intake. We have installed the "splash" pan just above the lifters, but I am wondering if the "valley" pan needs to be installed as well..?? Again we have the splash pan in and I am wondering if there is a need to have the valley pan installed as well before bolting down the intake.

Should anybody know and can help me understand the need for this I would appreciate the knowledge and feedback..

Thank you,

Punnice

 

I always use the "turkey tray".
It keeps oil from cooking on the
bottom of the intake. Over time
it turns into chunks that can
fall back into the lifter valley.

 

But if you don't run the car in cold weather or even have the EGR "you said you have a aftermarket intake" you don't need it.I blocked off the EGR so theres no exhaust going through the intake ever.I never run one.
railguy

 

If you had a Chebby guy do the heads, make sure that he ground the seats all the same depth so that the valve stems are all the same height - Oldsmobiles don't have adjustable rocker arms (unless you have installed aftermarket units).

- Eric

 

I never run the turkey tray either, I just use Mr. gasket. I hate the god damn turkey tray.

 

The turkey tray also serves as intake-to-head gasket, so unless you're running aftermarket rail intake gaskets you need the turkey tray. Some spray-can copper gasket sealer works well on the head sealing surface area of the tray.

Just personal preference- I like Victor Reinz intake gasket for Olds if you can find it. Never had much luck getting a Fel-Pro to fit in the locator holes right.

 

I did the opposite.
I used a "Valley tray" from Dick Miller, but I left out the Cam Splash cover.
Seemed right at the time, but I've wondered since if it was a mistake.
I have only 50 miles on the motor. so far ok, but I worry about too much oil on the valley tray bottom and the time it takes to return to the oil pan. ???

 

I use the Mr Gasket intake gaskets with an aftermarket valley pan that bolts in under the intake. Serves the same purpose but I feel it seals better and does a better job of keeping the oil down there closer to the lifters.

I believe it is all personal preference. Olds motors last a long time if taken care of and the turkey tray was used for many years by Olds with no big issues that I am aware of. So, both work.

 

I figured Olds paid a lot of money to higher top Engineers to develop their motors. If they thought it was a good idea, I figured, I was not smarter than they are, when it can to Olds engines , so I Use it all the time.

 

With the exhaust crossover blocked off I know people who have used either method and have it last a long time. I agree it's preference.

 

i'm not disagreeing with the use of the turkey tray but the engineers of the Titanic also got paid a lot

 

Unanticipated consequence, the GM ignition switch too. Engineers are only perfect on paper, practical application is different.

Intelligence is a full circle, starts at blithering idiot and goes all the way around to genius. There are some that cross the genius line and then wind up back into the blithering idiot slot.

 

Anyone have advice for me on the post above about using the cam splash shield
vs leaving it out?

 

This book helped me alot.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oldsmobile-M...7a40bf&vxp=mtr
railguy

 

If you slam your Olds into an iceberg, the intake may leak with any gasket...

 

Leave it in.

 

Outside that one Kennedy episode, not many Oldsmobiles have sunk though.

:-)

Anyone have advice for me on the post above about using the cam splash shield
vs leaving it out?
===========
Why not use it? BE SURE THE BOLTS ARE SHORT and do not contact the cam bearings. Special short bolts. maybe 0.350-0.375 long says the Bolts spreadsheet.

 

I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough. I put in an aftermarket valley tray and left out the factory cam shield (the little one, not the turkey tray). I installed the engine 3 weeks ago. Need I be concerned about how I put it together?

Thx,

George