rcdynamic88

When disassembling the motor I removed a "pan" (for lack of a better word) from the lifter valley on my 330. It was under the heat crossover portion of the intake and had a drain hole in it that lets whatever accumulates in it drip back through a hole above the cam. I remember wiping some oil sludge out of it while taking the motor apart and setting it aside...now I can't find the darn thing! Is this pan an important item to remember to install, or is it something that can be left out if you are changing to an aftermarket intake? I'm sure the engineers included it for a reason when they designed the engine. However I am going to be using a newer style PCV valve system so maybe there won't be as many contaminants to collect in the pan.
I am going to turn my garage inside out one more time to try to find the thing! I am tempted to just leave it out if it won't hurt anything to do so. I suppose I can find one by asking on the "Parts Needed" section. Darn It, its Hell getting Old! I am constantly sitting things down and forgetting what I've done with them!

BILL DEMMER

from what i'm getting out of your description, you're referring to the intake manifold gasket, a.k.a. valley pan gasket, a.k.a. turkey tray. is it required? yes and no. the original idea was to keep hot oil off of the bottom side of the intake manifold. you can skip it enitrely, use just the valley portion of the old one(with new intake manifold gaskets), or, if your aftermarket intake will allow its use-install a new one. i think the best bet would be to use just the lower portion of the old one(or cut-up a new one).


bill

Ozzie

Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to your question. The piece appears in figure 3-403 on page 3-137 of the 1964 Olds service manual which covers removal and installation of the intake manifold on the 330 engine. The manual says nothing about it other than to use 5-8 ft-lbs of torque when tightening its fasteners. Perhaps it is intended to keep oil from getting on the hottest portion of the intake manifold and forming pieces of carbon crud. That is my best guess. Later versions of the basic design used a continuous metal gasket from one bank to the other which would accomplish the same purpose.
And just in case misery loves company, I have the same oldtimers ailment. Being very deliberate when placing something somewhere has been the only thing which has helped me some. Even though getting old has its shortcomings, I'm still not ready for its only alternative.

tru-blue 442

RC, I always use the 'turkey tray'.
There will be many opionions on this.

DO NOT use the old one if you find it.
Good only for reference for your new one.

They are a crush type gasket, and only good
for one use. Depending on the size of the cross-over
ports, the one used for an early 350 should fit properly.

Fun71

I don't think the OP is talking about a turkey tray intake gasket. It appears that the early engines used a bolt-in splash shield to keep oil off the exhaust gas crossover portion of the intake manifold, exactly as Ozzie speculated:

This was later replaced with the valley pan intake gasket that we are all familiar with today.

wgonzo64

on my 64 330 it came with the valley pan as it was refeared to in my manual which yes it was 5-8ft lbs. if it came on the engine it should go back on .
My ex bro-in-law was always saying ehh u do not need these things like vacume lines he used to say it will rum better with out it he even took out the catalatic conveter on some cars.
my Dad was always saying to him it came on the car for a reason and its suposed to run better with the components the car came with

Fun71

I forgot to say that years ago I installed an aluminum Performer 350 intake and used composition gaskets and no valley pan. After about 10 years I pulled that intake to upgrade to a Performer RPM and the underside of the intake had a bit of dark staining on the crossover area, but nothing else. So you could run without a pan and not suffer any catastrophic results.

oldcutlass

He is talking about the tray that bolts to lifter galley. His engine came with a 4 piece intake gasket set, not the turkey tray type. I would say if you can't find the stock tray go to the turkey tray style manifold gasket.

2blu442

I've got an extra one if you'd like to have it, how about $10 plus shipping for pan and bolts? I would hope the shipping wouldn't be more than $7-8.

John

jag1886

Put it back in, it's an oil deflector that keeps the hot oil off the bottom of the intake also keeps the oil away from the cross over passage in the manifold so it won't get a buildup of cooked on oil.

Fun71

OK, multiple references to keeping hot oil off the bottom of the intake manifold. How hot is the oil? 250 or maybe 300 degrees? And the exhaust crossover has 1100 degree exhaust gases through the metal (iron or aluminum) passage, which easily conducts that heat to the rest of the manifold. So will that 250 degree oil transfer heat to the manifold, or will it be the opposite: the manifold transfers heat to the oil? I'm thinking the oil will get heated by the manifold. Keeping the oil off the exhaust crossover would appear to be the objective. Splash pan or turkey tray will minimize the oil / manifold interaction, which I think we all agree is a good thing.

Foxauto

When the exhaust crossover in the intake first came out there was no pan in the valley, we would find huge carbon chunks in the valley that were dropping off the bottom of the intake along with huge crusty material along the underside of the exhaust channel. That is what the pan is for, to prevent buildup. If you have eliminated the exhaust crossover, the pan is useless.

joe_padavano

Wow, first post responds to a thread that's a decade old.

Foxauto

I happen to be dealing with this issue , nobody work on these engines anymore? I just put Edelbrock heads and a roller cam in one. The turkey tray is interfering with the lifters. Been a while since I dealt with this and this decade old thread helped remind me what to do about it. I guess it is because the engine is 47 years old. I'm going to cut the gaskets out of the turkey tray and toss the tray in the garbage.

joe_padavano

The factory metal gasket was never intended to clear aftermarket roller lifters with tie bars. It easily clears the factory roller lifters used in the 307 motors that have dogbones and a central hold-down spider. Keeping hot oil off the bottom of the intake has advantages beyond just coking on the exhaust crossover. It also keeps the intake charge cooler.

bccan

FWIW - I usually have the bottom of my intakes sprayed with aerospace heat barrier when not running a turkey tray or shield, which is common on small blocks with roller lifters or Performer intakes. I never run live exhaust crossovers. Does the coating make a difference? I don’t know, but for what it costs (~$65 last time done) it feels worth it, if for nothing but peace of mind.

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Foxauto

With coolant flowing through the front and rear of the intake I think it would be pretty much at engine operating temp. Also having no exhaust gas running through it will make it much cooler.

oldcutlass

Instead of cutting up a turkey tray, why not use the steel shim gasket set for a 330, FelPro pn MS99471, for use for engines with the tray bolted to the lifter galley? I would highly recommend throwing away the rubber end gaskets and using "The Right Stuff" gasket maker in their place.

OLDSMOBILE Fel-Pro MS99471 Fel-Pro Intake Manifold Gaskets | Summit Racing

Foxauto

Great idea thanks