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Valley pan or 'turkey-tray' gasket was designed to keep hot oil off the base of the intake manifold where the exhaust gasses are routed thru for quick warm-up. This area gets hot enough to char the oil after a while. If you have blocked off the exhaust crossover, or run an aluminum intake, or change your oil regularly, you don't need the pan. But by trimming off the intake port section of an old pan with scissors, the bottom part can be laid in position and better composition gaskets used to seal the intake ports.
As for the rear side windows, what do you want to do with this area? Main airflow is up from the bottom of the car and out the rear opening, so adding side scoops does nothing except add drag, unless flex-tubes are connected to the scoops and led to a box around the air cleaner. There are two side-scoops available- a small and a large. Silver State runners have proven that the small one is cosmetic only- airflow along the body stands off about 2" so zero air is 'scooped'. The large ones, also called 'elephant-ears,' do protrude far enough to scoop air. But the window frame they fasten to is only held in the body by friction so when it starts to work (at around 150mph), the scoop may tear out of the body unless the frame is rivited or screwed in firmly. Expect some high speed carb-jetting problems if you do get the big scoops to work.
Thanks a bunch!! Now I understand. The engine in the car has an Edlebrock aluminum manifold and the original engine laying on my basement floor doesn't have any exhaust manifold/header, so I had no idea what that valley pan was about. It seemed like the pan was a good idea to keep the oil from heating the fuel/air mixture, but the people at the local machine shop said that the racers did not use the pan with the aluminum manifold, so I was totally baffled and befuddled.
It sounds like the air scoops would be a waste for me because my main intent is to run autocross - speeds below 100 MPH. I thought that cool air to the carburetor would be desired rather than the air that comes up through the headers and gets heated before entering the air filter. It's amazing how much reality differs from what I am looking at and thinking. Thanks again.
Jim
If you're going to autocross, IMHO the biggest changes you can make are a 7/8" rear swaybar with sphereball mounts, and 8" Campys in front with 245-50x 15 front tires, maybe Yokos. All this helps stop understeer. Also check your posi with a torque wrench. It should be about 45 ft-lbs on a wheel nut. Some ZF posi's are much stiffer than others and actually cause low-speed understeer. Good luck- J DeRyke
Got some Hoosier 245/45X15 and 275/45X16 bias plies just before they discontinued them. After I get acquainted with the car, I will probably go to some Hoosier radials. Probably 17 diameter rear and 16 front. The available sizes are not good for 15 inch.
I will check the posi and sway bar. I bought a road racer's street car, so I have no idea what might be on it until I check.
Thanks
Jim
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