f.e. valley pan?

[427]

My f.e. has a valley pan under the intake now and im changing gaskets and wondering if I left it off what is the good or bad that could happen? Thanks Brian

[fordman]

i have read that you should leave it in. because of oil splash or something like that. i would leave it in.

[Dragon]

It keeps oil from hitting the extremely hot heat cross over passage which is on the bottom of the intake manifold. So not remove it or you will get severe sludge build up from the oil being burned up.

[427]

Thanks guys. I,ll leave it in. Brian

[averagef250]

I was always told the same thing. I ran a mild 390 for 140K miles on 10W30 castrol GTX without one and it looked perfect inside. Run or don't. I don't think it actually matters.

[Dragon]

I have tore many FEs apart and seen tons of goop caked on that pan. It depends I believe on how much oil mist it flying around in the valley and whether or not the heat riser valve has been working right or missing.

[fordman]

please use another word for heatriser valve. i have never heard it called that. isn't that located in the air cleaner snorkel? what is the word i would know it by?

[FORD428CJ]

I have tore many FEs apart and seen tons of goop caked on that pan. It depends I believe on how much oil mist it flying around in the valley and whether or not the heat riser valve has been working right or missing.

You are totally right! Helps keep the heat out and oil from caking up under the intake. I use them all the time. Even on aftermarket intakes.

[FORD428CJ]

I have taken apart a few FEs that didnt have the pan and the intakes are caked underneath. JMHO

[Dragon]

please use another word for heatriser valve. i have never heard it called that. isn't that located in the air cleaner snorkel? what is the word i would know it by?

Heat cross over valve? My manuals do not show it.

[Hawkrod]

Dragon is correct, it is a heat riser valve in common terminology, The Ford name is Valve Assembly Exhaust Heat Control. It is kind of like an automatic trans flywheel is called a flexplate, Ford does not call it that, Ford calls it a "Flywheel-Automatic Transmission". The part on the air cleaner is the heat stove and air duct assembly. Hawkrod

[fordman]

ok the words just didnt click in my mind. i get it now.

[robroy]

When my father Hugh and I pulled the intake off of my 360 twelve years ago the valley pan was CAKED with at least a quarter inch of black sludge (oil and dirt). It's a miracle it ran with all that sludge in there, but I guess that's what the pan's for.

-Robroy

[Dragon]

In fact most sludge comes from concentration of oil in hot spots. The heat drives off all the lighter aromatic (easily vaporized) solvents from the oil. And not changing the oil often enough does not only allow it to get extremely dirty it also fails because of the loss of those same solvents and this is where oil pan sludge and valley lifter area gets it's sludge build up. Over Rich carb jetting, too much fuel to air will not completely burn and this will settle on the walls after the cylinder fires. Leaky rings lets gas get into the oil and that then re-thins the oil and keeps the dirty oil cycle going.

[willowbilly3]

please use another word for heatriser valve. i have never heard it called that. isn't that located in the air cleaner snorkel? what is the word i would know it by?

That would be the hot air stove on the aircleaner. Correct term for the heatriser is EFE for early fuel evaporation. Heatriser works too.
If your engine is caked inside it may be a combination of things. #1 is poor maintenance, #2 is Penzoil, #3 is too cold of thermostat, #4 is not warming the engine up, like too many short drives. There may be more.