Question for the Gasket Gurus

[joesregalproject]

I'm in the process of replacing the timing cover gasket on my 1995 F150. I've got everything apart and I've got the gasket kit and now I'm unsure of exactly what I should do to seal this thing up.

So the front of the oil pan seals to the timing cover. The gasket kit includes two little cork corner gaskets and some RTV to seal the oil pan to the timing cover.

I assume they want you to cut whatever is left of the corners of the original oil pan gasket and use these cork corners and some RTV to seal it. However my original oil pan gasket is metal coated with silicone, so it's not exactly easy to cut through. I probably could with a hacksaw blade if I have to, but I don't know how tight I could get it in the corner and I risk getting metal shavings in the oil pan.

I really don't want to drop the oil pan. It's a pain in the *ss to do on this truck. I thought about coating the metal gasket on both sides with some one minute gasket RTV and skipping the cork corners altogether.

What would you do in my situation?

 

[joesregalproject]

Here's a photo of the gasket kit.

 

[joesregalproject]

Here's a photo of the timing cover removed (not my picture). The red lines show where I believe fel pro wants you to cut the original oil pan gasket.

 

[Ribbedroof]

Reuse the original gasket, the cork ones are for old stuff (60s-80s) before the composite gaskets came out

 

[joesregalproject]

Reuse the original gasket, the cork ones are for old stuff (60s-80s) before the composite gaskets came out

You mean to reuse what's left of the original gasket and coat it with RTV? Some of the rubber coating on the steel gasket is peeling off just from removing the timing cover.

 

[Ribbedroof]

I think that would be a better choice than attempting to remove the steel core ends.

 

[joesregalproject]

I think that would be a better choice than attempting to remove the steel core ends.

Thanks, I just watched a video in YouTube from "thefoxshop" that detailed the same procedure. He coated the remains of his metal gasket with black RTV and skipped the cork corners. He said it doesn't leak. I think that's what I'm gonna try.