one piece oil pan gasket question

[crm318]

when using a one piece oil pan gasket, do you use silicone?

[shovelhead]

If I remember right, you just use it in the corners. I just did this a couple of months ago, but can't remember. Good luck to you.

Shovel

[thesteppenwolf]

..personally, I am a chicken....I silicone everything...

[70GMCer]

Just on the corners as per instructions from Felpro

[Lugnut64052]

My two cents:

Generally speaking, if you have a gasket, you don't need any silicone or sealer. This is true for water pumps, thermostats, pan gaskets . . . pretty much anything. The only thing I use is a spot or two of 3M trim adhesive to stick stuff in place, then assemble it dry.

The exceptions to the rule are:
1) where gaskets turn corners, like on a pan gasket where it goes around the rear main cap, or on an intake manifold at the corners of the lifter valley. Put one blob of silicone at the corners. So on your Fel-Pro pan gasket, put it just at the corners like it says to.
2) where separate gaskets meet, like on a multi-piece pan gasket. Put a blob of silicone at every junction point.

And use black silicone. It'll visually disappear as soon as it's all together. I've always thought it looked pretty cheesy to pop open a hood and see a big, bright blue silicone booger tracking around on the engine somewhere.