Oil pan to timing cover seal

[Mopar to ya]

My motor has had an oil leak for a long time. I mostly ignore it because I am changing motors this winter. I decided to drop in a new cam to liven it up in the mean time. When I got the timing cover off and pulled off the timing cover to oil pan seal, i was a little shocked. The one I took out was all rippled and beat up like it wasn't installed properly. I understand how that could happen because I fought to get mine to stay in place for over an hour. It kept wanting to push back into the oil pan even though the rubber nubs were still in place and supposed to be holding it tight. I double, triple, and quadruple checked the nubs were holding. I lubed the seal. I tried multiple angles to install the timing cover. The damn thing just kept sliding back over the edge into the oil pan. I even went so far as to buy another timing set (and I was using Fel-Pro) to see if it would be different. It wasn't. I finally managed to get the timing cover installed with the seal in place.
My question is, so I will know in the future, is there some trick to installing the seal or the cover so everything stays in place?

 

[67Dart273]

I don't even use the things, front or rear of the pan, and front and rear intake.

I just put a big huge bead of sillycone on there, install the pan, and take a finger/ towel and smooth the bead over. Let 'er sit at least 24 hours OR LONGER if possible before starting engine.

It must be CLEAN and OIL FREE before you do this. Use acetone, etc, to clean and dry gasket surfaces.

 

[Mopar to ya]

I don't even use the things, front or rear of the pan, and front and rear intake.

I just put a big huge bead of sillycone on there, install the pan, and take a finger/ towel and smooth the bead over. Let 'er sit at least 24 hours OR LONGER if possible before starting engine.

It must be CLEAN and OIL FREE before you do this. Use acetone, etc, to clean and dry gasket surfaces.

???? This seal is 1/4 to 3/8" thick. It probably works but I would have a hard time trying that one! I didn't have the pan off, just the timing cover. I would think it would get smeared pretty well. Have you done it just with the timing cover off?

 

[67Dart273]

Yup. Deal with the corner gaskets and get them sealed, and the cover bolted on. Then use the plastic nozzle to sort of "inject" a bead, letting it, shall we say, "pile up" on the outside between the cover and pan, then smear it "into the groove. Be sure you get the locating holes in the pan covered

VERY important to give it time to cure.