<VV> REPLY TO FRANK and all

[N2VZD at aol.com]

NO gasket used. Just make sure you put the silicone on towards outer edge,  
not too much , tighten so all surfaces are touching , but not real tight. I 
hate  finding a big mess of sealer inside the valve covers or pans.  Leave  
it alone at least 12 hours or more , then tighten it up again. then let it 
set a  while before putting oil in it. The silicone will reseal again after 
final  tighten. 
 Only problem with this , is it will be very hard to remove the pan in  the 
future(if you did it right and it was DRY)   Best I can describe  it , it 
has worked well for me on many jobs now. I wipe all exposed edges after  the 
first tightening with a scott paper shop towel. This makes a nice clean  
look. Just be aware that all silicone sealers are not the same!  Takes a  good 
study to figure out what works best. My expert Locktite rep passed away  
just after I got to play with samples of product he gave me. The best ones he  
gave me were a silver industrial cartridge  , and a special blue that  
really stinks when curing. The other one that is good at NAPA still ,is a pasty  
black, not glossy. I am not in my shop today , so no part numbers here.
 We found that most of the cheaper sealers are junk.
Regards, Tim Colson
Happy almost  sober new years.