gen 1 vortec gaskets

[mechanicalman]

Check the sealing surface for wear groove and/or pitting. Steel cranks are less likely to have this problem.

If it needs attention, victor makes an off-set lip on one of their seals. Only problem it's a one-shot deal as their seal has no dust lip just the oil lip. If its OK, just use a premium RMS.

Use a thin haze of anaerobic sealer each side of main cap to block surface or other gasket sealer, just don't use so much that it interferes with the main seals themselves. Some people off-set the seals slightly so as to not align with the main cap to block surfaces to avoid sealer contamination.

Always run a good inspection cover for maximum rear main/transmission front seal life.