Help on front timing cover M103

[abaddsm]

I am about to start the reassembly process of my partially deconstructed engine and want to know if I can use octite 5900 on the bottom of the front timing cover where it meets the oil pan. I am planning on using it on all the mating surfaces of the timing cover to block but can I also use it to mate to the oil pan. When I removed the front timing cover there doesnt appear to be any gasket material on the oil pan at all. I have purchased an oil pan gasket. Can I cut out the front portion that I need and use that? Help please.

[S-Class Guru]

Did you notice any residual gasket stuck on the bottom of the timing cover?
When new, the gasket would have covered that area, so it has to be on either the pan lip or the timing cover lip, unless it crumbled and fell away during disassembly.
Cutting a strip to replace the missing gasket is a good idea, since it will raise the timing cover properly, helping to center it around the crank radial seal, and will help fill the gap between pan and cover. If the timing cover has alignment dowels, then radial seal alignment is not such an issue.

When I did my rear main seal I buggered up the pan seal a bit, but I left it in place (to help properly locate the radial seal carrier as mentioned above). I then cleaned up the area really well with brake cleaner, and ran a bead of Permatex gasket sealer over the old seal and in the corners. Worked great for the last 100k miles. any good gasket sealer should be fine, just get it really clean.

DG

[abaddsm]

I noticed no gasket whatsoever. Thanks for the info regarding raising it up the proper amount. I hadnt thought about that. Now the oil pan gasket is supposed to be the only seal between the pan and the bottom of the timing cover so I guess I will just run with that and then use the loctite 5900 in the corners and on the mating surfaces of the block to timing cover. This gives me the confidence to cut the seal and use it the way you described.
Evan