Thread: What's the pan under the intake?

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I had the intake out of my 1964 Galaxie's 390 and there's a pan which appears to serve as a catch for dropped objects or debris from the carb. It fills the whole basin with cut-outs for the pushrods. What is this pan and is mine broken? It doesn't go all the way forward. It stops about 1 lifter short on both sides. Thanks!

It's the valley pan. It's purpose is to keep hot oil from splashing on the bottom of the intake. You can find new NOS and used on ebay.

G.

The one i pulled out of my 390 last weekende also looked like it was cut off in the front, Just around the first lifter, Maybe thats stock? Or am i out riding my little pink bike again?

I bet both pans aren't broken in the same place, so I bet it is stock that way. Thanks for the replies!

That pan is for intake manifolds with an exhaust crossover passage for heating the carb. The underside of the manifold can get very hot with exhaust gasses running through it, hot enough to cook whatever oil comes in contact with it and turn it into sticky goey carbon deposits. As long as the pan covers the part of the manifold with the crossover passage, it is doing its job.