Oil pan install

[Barraguy]

The 2 rubber end gaskets. Should they be installed dry, or should RTV be used on them? I know to do the gasket/seal junction with some. What are you going that you have had good luck with?

[EaZyE426]

If you have the ability to use the one piece gasket, may be 89+ only, I don't recall, it's the best. But use a little rtv at each end of the rubber piece and toss the cork gasket in the trash and just RTV the rest of the pan.

[Dr. Johny Dodge]

toss the cork gaskets
buy tube of quality silicone
buy end seals
apply silicone to pan rails
service manual calls for silicone in the 90* corners between the rail and the seal retailer .. where the top corners of the seals fit to the engine

I add a light bead of silicone in the grouve for the pan seal and a light bead on the pan where the end seal meets it

thus I end up with silicone along the rails and on both top and bottom of the end seals
NEVER leaks
none of my engines engines.. ever had a leak from a pan or valvecover
and never any eventual oil weeping from the end seals..no mater how many years they stayed together

I really don't get the obsession for the one piece gaskets , either top or bottom.." we " don't adjust valve lash every friday to prep for saturday and "we" never swap main or rod bearings "between rounds".. do "we"...
no ..
so no use for something that inevitably HAS to eventually weep or leak...

when my mother bought her 90 shadow there were rumors of dodge having a new engine fire issue that coincides .. with one piece valve cover and oil pan gaskets (cough)

we know valve cover bolts loosen with heat cycles....

purpose of the one piece gaskets is to aid in the production of millions of engines .. by reducing effort to assemble them

though , granted , with minimalist material use the earlier silicone sealed factory
engines .. still leaked badly

[Barraguy]

When you say “top and bottom “ you mean the part that goes into the groove and the part that contacts the pan when talking about the rubber end gasket?

[contraption22]

I agree with Dr. Dodge. I wouldn't use RTV on the rails. It might seal well, but if you ever have to remove the pan, especially with the engine in the car, you'll understand why it's a bad idea.

[Dr. Johny Dodge]

When you say “top and bottom “ you mean the part that goes into the groove and the part that contacts the pan when talking about the rubber end gasket?

yes exactly , along with a deliberate little gob of silicone in the corners like the service manuals call for

and don't make the mistake of letting silicone start to set .. it's not "gasket maker but rather a seal created by the chemical bonding to the parts.. if you let it start to set you lose that bonding..( sayin' as , some do this)

helped someone on the other site with his transmission assembly
he couldn't get the C clips onto the shafts as the groves were not exposed.. turned out he had let the silicone start to set before tightening the bolts down .. thus to much silicone was in between the parts to allow proper assembly

[Barraguy]

Ok thanks. I will rtv both sides of the end gaskets