Heres a question for some of you guys that have had your oil pans and timing chain covers off of your engines.

I had installed the timing chain cover and water pump on the engine, and had planned on installing the oil pan last. When I installed the timing chain cover, I put the harmonic balancer on, and everything seemed to fit right.

Now my question is this. The timing cover where it meets the block, doesnt quite "level out" so to speak. The timing cover is slightly below the block, and Im sort of hesitant to throw the oil pan gasket, and oil pan in fear that it may not seal.

Maybe I am being a little paranoid, and Im definately a little inexperienced with this problem, so any advice, thoughts or comments welcome.

Picture below.

 

goop it up with lots of right-stuff gasket maker. i use it on seal joints like the rubber gasket to paper gasket on the oil pump...

it will fill in any gaps, us it on both sides where you are worried about the gap.

but how much is the offset? since gasket material will compress and fill most of the small imperfections

 

Thanks for the reply.

That was my first thought as well is just put a little rtv on the block and timing chain cover, then putting the one piece rubber gasket down, then throwing the oil pan on, but I just wasnt sure about using the rtv with the rubber gasket.

The gap is, comparible to maybe a finger nail, or so. Doesnt seem like a whole lot, but I am a little inexperienced with this particular issue, and I just dont wanna put it together then have it leak!

 

after Right-stuff gasket maker... i wont go back to RTV

 

+1 on the RTV. That junk works wonders. Make sure your PCV system is squared away too, so as to minimize stress on the gasketry.

That looks like an aftermarket timing cover that doesn't fit too well. I've never seen a FoMoCo one that had that misfit to it.

 

Its a factory ford one, it was on the engine when I took it off, but I didnt take notice if it was a little off or not. The harmonic is on there, and of course I cant tell if it leaks or not yet, but it did seem to line up. All the bolts lined up fine, and there didnt seem to be any issues there at all.

Ill keep an eye out for that right stuff gasket maker as well next time I need some. RTV has done its job in the past, so Im not too worried about that part of things!

Right now my main concern is with the "offset" parts.