Big block pan leak. Anyone use silicone only w/ no gasket?

I hate to have to ask this but I'm pretty much desperate on a big block oil pan leak at the front corners.
Does anyone seal their pan using silicone only, with no gasket?
Is this possible? Which silicone works?
I have a Milodon pan (seems paper thin).
I have tried:
-Fiber/rubber gaskets twice (with and without silicone)
-Cork gaskets twice (with and without silicone)
-Superformance gaskets
I have even deleted the windage tray out of desperation.
I've made sure the pan rail is flat every time.
I'm at my wits end. Any ideas are appreciated.

My buddies don't do that but they use Ultra Black on both sides of the gasket. Seems kinda aggressive but it doesn't leak.

I also use ultra black on both sides and let it set up for 20 minutes or so before I install the pan. over tightening the pan bolts can also cause issues. the surfaces must be dry and oil free or the sealer will never stick. no leaks here.

I have, kind of...

Ages and ages ago I redid a head on a friend's ford pickup, 240 six. When it came time to install the valve cover, I found the gasket in the kit was fragmented. I needed to get it together so I carefully ran a bead of silicone around the gasket surface of the valve cover. I let it sit until it had skinned over, then carefully placed it on the engine using the valve cover bolts for guides. So it was just resting on the head surface, bolts weren't close to being tightened.

The next morning I got in it, drove away and returned the truck to my friend. I forgot that I needed to tighten the bolts.

Three or four years later the valvetrain started to clatter and he brought it over for me to see what was wrong. As I started backing out the valve cover bolts I noticed that none of them was tightened, the heads were 1/8" or so above the valve cover. It hadn't leaked a drop, just sealed by the silicone. Keep in mind this is parts store blue silicone from around 1982.

There's no reason you couldn't do the same thing on an oil pan. Be conservative with the amount of silicone you are using, and use oil-resistant stuff.

Actually for this application I'd strongly suggest The Right Stuff. It cures immediately upon tightening and is what the factories use on the assembly line. I used it for end seals on an intake and literally drove away as soon as I had put wrenches away. NEVER LEAKED A DROP. It was the factory gasket on my '93Suburban's rear axle cover plate.

Someone will soon be telling you it's a bu&&er to get apart, but isn't that what you want? I use a putty knife and mallet to break the seal.

I cannot imagine using silicone on both sides (or even one side) of a gasket and making things better than they were with NO silicone. I hope Mr Superformance Gasket comes on board and reminds us that gasket makers work very hard to make gaskets that seal, and any uninformed messing with the gasket surfaces is just flat wrong.

I can't get over the thought that we pay good money to buy good parts and then think we're smarter than the outfit that made the parts.

R.

After using silicone alot at chev dealer, I did use it on a couple of 440's and it worked well. Clean everything but good, make sure it's flat(pan), and put small bead down center of pan rail,. and put it on rightaway. None of that setting up stuff. It will set up once tightened, and it's good idea to not immediately add oil and fire it.

The oil pan is pretty much the last thing that I want to leak on a BB A-body with headers and stock K-member so I use good crush-proof gaskets such as Superformance, gray RTV on each side of the gasket, I let it set up just enough that it doesn't squeeze out everywhere when installing it, lightly snug the bolts. Tighten the bolts the next day. If I'm in no hurry I give it as many days as possible to cure before adding oil since I normally do this kind of stuff during the winter.

It's not fun to remove the pan and clean but that's better than dealing with a leak.

I don't use pan gaskets any more. I use 3-Bond grey sealant. It is what Deutz and Kubota use for alot of there gaskets in diesel engines and trans cases. Works great.

Are you 100% sure it's the pan? I had what I thought was a pan leak & it turned out to be the front cover was leaking at front corners. I found the cover has like a stiffner across the rail & it had come apart causing it to leak. (Chrome mp cover) changed back to stock & no more leak.

I sell a composite gasket that has silicone sealing beads on it and it's a windage tray all one piece. PM if interested.

Sorry to hear your having such problems.

I'm going to assume you have an issue with your timing cover possibly not being flat with the block pan rail surface. Either protruding above or sitting below can cause the issue you described. Or the timing cover/gasket itself is the culprit.

When installing the Superformance Products oil pan gasket with a stamped steel oil pan like yours it is recommended to apply a 1/8" BEAD (do not smear it with your finger) of Permatex Ultra Black directly to the oil pan rail and to the junction of the timing cover to block and rear seal retainer joints. Tighten the bolts just snug enough to disperse the sealant, allow to cure for 12-24 hours then apply full torque to the fasteners.

When installed properly your oil pan will stay sealed for a longer period of time than any other composition gasket on the market.

Out of all those gaskets and installations it is obvious to me you are overlooking a component issue causing your hair to prematurely grey.

Torque to recommended 15 pounds. However likely to dimple paper thin as you describe it, Milodon(I agree miserable flange) oil pan flange. Often pans are cinched only to 5 to 10 pounds as many are concerned to damage their pans, hence the slathering of silicone. A good gasket and proper torque, you should not need this. What did Chrysler do when the built these engines, I don't believe they used silicone,,,,was it even around then?

Using 1/8 inch by 1/2 inch steel stock, this has worked for me. No sealer at all except at rear main retainer. You can buy strips at any hardware store.

Also makes for a much easier pan R&R next time.

Sxrxrnr,
Thanks for the pics. I made some stiffeners for the front edge of my pan (where my leak is) that look almost identical to yours. Helped, but still leaks.
Roadhazard & Sportfury70,
I did find a possible issue with the front cover gasket and replaced it too. Balancer seal is dry. Flushness from block to front cover was perfect before; now is .020" (cover shifted up). Added a piece of .025" gasket stock here. Helped, but still leaks.
I'm considering try some Right Stuff or Ultra Gray or Three Bond, or whatever, with no gasket and was hoping to get multiple recommendations for one or the other.
This whole issue is ridiculous. I should be able to seal a flat pan with my eyes shut. Bout ready to make someone a helluva deal on a 4-speed '70 Hemi Cuda replica. Runs like an absolute beast and leaves a nice oil slick wherever you park so people know you were there.

iirc you mentioned something earlier about the thin pan rails. any chance you might just need to spring for a new pan (stouter built one)?

I've used just silicone with success with a stamped steel pan. windage tray, scrapper and girdle.