I have recently taken on a job that has been a pain in the A**, I removed timing cover broke one of the dowels, had to wait three days for one to come in. I finally get everything ready. I used a light film of water pump RTV around the ports on both sides and a light coat along the whole gasket. My problem was, I spent hours trying to get timing cover on with cork corners and had no luck, literally 3 hours. I have now reassembled with the light rtv around the ports and on both sides timing cover gasket. And then through out the cork corners, kept the black rubber seal for timing cover to pan. Applied a generous amount of " The Right Stuff" gasket maker along the pan and re-installed. Anyone every had luck without the cork corners? Thanks.

 

Just did this on my 93 with a 302. I managed to get mine to hold together long enough to slide the cover down, but it's a pain. Others have said that it helps to loosen the oil pan bolts and drop it down a little. I guess you would then fit the timing cover on, add the corners and half circular piece and push the pan back up.

If you have it all back together already, then I'd just monitor it for oil leaks. I wouldn't pull it all apart again otherwise.

 

Use the cork or no ?

 

Yes. Glue/RTV the cork corners on the timing cover first, let it dry, that helps keep them in place. Then put the RTV on the pan side and in the corners.

It's already put back together, right?

 

I put almost everything back together I just have right side accessories and clutch fan left but I didn't use cork corners. I just used the right stuff gasket maker

 

The right stuff is some pretty good gasket maker, but it's pretty hard to get off later on!

I never heard good things about the cork gaskets. That doesn't mean they won't work for you, but they definitely are more of a pain. I've read a lot about people saying the develop leaks over time with the cork gasket. However I've also read things were people have had them for years and they don't see any leaks.

The consensus of what I read is that people don't like them though, but you don't have too much of a choice if you aren't taking the oil pan off. I did use them for about a year before I ended up doing a lot more work on my motor. They weren't leaking when I took mine off, but I did a bunch of work on the motor and pulled the oil pan, so I put a one piece rubber fel pro gasket in place which was MUCH nicer.

 

I used only gasket maker and no cork corners and so far no leaks and a nice bead along the front the oil pan looks clean and strong. I do have a roughish idle, it's weird happens randomly I give it gas it stops, have loud whistling vacuum leak can not find.