I used to be a no RTV kind of mechanic mostly using the Permatex Type 2 semi hardening brown sealer until Permatex's Right Stuff came out. OEMs have been using it for factory assembly with Toyota calling theirs FIP or form in place gasket material. It's great stuff. The less expensive one from Permatex is their Ultra Black. Unless there are instructions that say not to, it's always helpful to have some kind of sealer for imperfections in what's being gasketed.
I put a thin coat on the block and pan and it can hold the gasket in place when positioning the parts. You only need a skim coat about the thickness of wet paint or an 1/8" bead on wider flanges or sheet metal. No leaks to date from those assemblies.
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