small block valley pan

perfacar said

hi, they don't do much for windage. they are to help keep hot oil off bottom of manifold and to keep lifters in bores in case of a valve train problem. that is their main function. any time you can insulate heat from intake, there is a power gain. I use them, has saved my motor one time. just food forthought.
a cam will splash oil this will help it to fall back down on the lobes and lifters.

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I guess I was thinking of an engine that had the oil to the lifters blocked, for some reason that's just on my brain these days. In this case if you cover the holes down the middle of the valley there isn't much oil that is going to be splashed onto the cam and lifters. The only oil you are getting to get there is the oil being thrown off the crankshaft.

Of course keeping hot oil off the intake is going to be a power gain but as I said, only with none air gap type manifolds which are superior anyway so if you are going to take it off why not just replace it with a better manifold.