Gasket Dilemma

Skim coat of RTV on both sides works for me. Never put in any more than a skim coat or it will act as a lube, and allow the gasket to slip and spread and perhaps split. Making sure the areas around the bolts are flattened with a small ball-peen hammer on a board is the most important thing, followed by not putting on more torque than evenly snugging them down. (Must be doing something OK: I can't recall a pan gasket leak ever. But I suck at rear rope seals LOL)