440 OIL PAN DROP

[moonshine_mike]

I thought the idler arm was wrong because the arm has a horizontal bend. I expected it  to be straight horizontally with only vertical bends. Cast number is 57302. Good Idea on the MOOG.

[moonshine_mike]

Getting ready to install the brand new oil pan. Thinking of using a fel pro cork gasket with a bead of permatex on each side.
Do you think this would be the best seal?

[pschlosser]

Getting ready to install the brand new oil pan. Thinking of using a fel pro cork gasket with a bead of permatex on each side.
Do you think this would be the best seal?

is it no longer a thing to just go bare cork without the sealant?  As you've already learned, getting that sucker off, again, when a sealant is used, is no trivial matter.  If you're using a sealant, I don't think it matters whether you go cork and man-made-fiber.

I acknowledge, the windage tray adds an element of complexity and potential leakage without sealant.  My first inclination is to Keep Is Simple and go bare.  But that is tempered by an avoidance to doing it again, if it leaks, using a sealant.

[cuda hunter]

This is what I use in place of any permatex brand sealant. 
It is grey.  Works better than just about anything.

[cuda hunter]

mopar gear sealant amazon link

[pschlosser]

mopar gear sealant amazon link

save a tree, save your sabot. use this gear sealant.
 

[moonshine_mike]

OK finally got some stuff done:
-New oil pan is nicely flat and square.
-Decided to use some very light black RTV only on the oil pan side of the gasket. I left the windage side tray interface bare. This allows me to remove the pan/gasket combo if I have to in future.
-Prior to installing the new oil pan, I cut a few bolts and inserted them into a few oil pan bolt locations. I used them as guide studs when reinstalling the oil pan/gasket combo. I expected that without these the gasket/pan combo would shimmy on me since the RTV was wet. This turned out to be great and I easily added the first few bolts finger tight.
-Removed the guide studs and finished the bolting procedure. Hopefully this doesn't leak.
-Looks great.
Final Conclusions:
1) Although I have heard that others do not have to raise the engine, I did need to lift the engine about 1-2" in order to reinstall the four front oil pan bolts. Just didn't know how to start these bolt insertions without more clearance.
2) I also removed the clutch inspection cover to move easily insert the oil pan over the oil pickup. This was trivial and less than 5 minutes.
3) The guide studs made the installation easy
4) Removing the old oil pan was a bear since it was glued in place. i don't wish this on anyone.

Added some pics of the guide studs and finished product

[cuda hunter]

Looks great!
The guide studs are a great idea.
Thanks for the detailed explanations of your process.