Need tips to clean lifter valey

since you dont have a shop vac first blow out the intake ports with air compresor then wipe the living hell out of the valley with a rag. something else you can do is pull the oil plug and rinse out the valley with diesel fuel.

as for the gaskets i generally cut off the nipples on the cork and put a bead of silicone on the four corners and a very thin film on the waterports. for that i mostly use black ultrablack or ultra blue, i dont think the blue stuff likes water very well

How about duct tape to seal off the intake ports? Maybe stuff some paper towel or clean rags down those ports while you are cleaning.