Valley pan/intake gasket question

[Guest]

When I reinstall my intake manifold can I reuse the valley pan? Do I really need it? If I do need to reinstall it does the intake gasket go on top of it or under the pan? Should I run some silicon under the pan around all the intake runners? I never had an engine with a valley pan so I am unfamilar with them and of course my manual doesn not say anything about how to reinstall it.

[rocketraider]

Better to get a new one. I've always had best luck with Victor gaskets in this application. Never have been able to get a Fel-Pro to fall into the locator holes on the heads right.<P>Sounds like you may be using the rail type intake gaskets. I think Edelbrock recommends using the valley gasket along with the rail gaskets for proper seal, with rail gasket between intake manifold and valley pan.<P>The turkey tray gasket is designed to keep hot oil off the intake manifold exhaust crossover area. It helps, but every engine I've seen with over 75k miles the lifter area was still coked up.<P>Use some RTV around the water passage openings, both sides of gasket. I've had good luck using spray-on copper gasket sealer on both sides of the metal gasket in the intake port area. Use a thick bead of hi-temp RTV on the end seals area instead of the rubber or cork gaskets, which always fall or squeeze out and then leak. Put plenty of it at the corner where the intake, heads and block meet. Let it set up long enough to barely skim over, then set the intake in place on the engine and torque it.