Morris Minor Owners Club

Putting my midget engine back together, front endplate stage, manual says 'smear the endplate gasket with a sealing compound and place it in position'. Not sure what this means, what sealing compound?, smear the whole gasket?, both sides?, how much is smeared? Also no mention of sealing compound on rear endplate, is it required?
Sorry for lots of questions but I am rather confussed dot com.

What 'manual' is this ? BMC didn't use any sealing compound - so why would it be needed now? Everything clean and assemble dry - it will be fine. If you absolutely feel you MUST - then the thinest smear of blue hylomar.......

Haynes, midget/Sprite, 45 camshaft and front endplate - refitting page 46.

Hahahahahahahahahaha - HBOL - Haynes Book of Lies as the Mini lads refer to it......... Fit it dry.

As a general principle I use grease on gaskets (not cylinder head or inlet/exhaust manifold) that contact a machined face and a sealant, such as Hylomar, on gaskets that contact a steel pressing, such as a sump or standard rocker cover. Using grease helps the gasket to settle, but more usefully makes disassembly MUCH easier next time!

On a rocker cover, the sealant will 'stick' the gasket to the cover, which makes fitting the cover to the head easier and with grease on the head side it can, if necessary, be re-used 2-3 times, but no more, without needing to change it.

I would definitely not use a sealant on a gasket that contacts a machined face, it is not necessary and just makes any future disassembly that much more difficult and messy.

Thank you both.