You probably need to drop the oil pan to really check the drop tube to see if it is bent. My recollection is the drop tube is fitted to the center main bearing cap, so you may need to drop the center main cap (2 bolts, pretty easy)if you decide to work-on the drop tube. Check you pan to make sure it is flat & square also. Like the other guys say, a stump or rock can knock that whole thing out of wack so it won't seal. The wire strainer basket is indeed longer than the steel filter cover that should be inside your pan, and longer than the filter. The wire strainer pushes-up on the cover, and on a spring that is above the cover, to provide clearance for oil to pass under the filter cover. The filtered oil is only ~30% of the total oil being pumped, only the oil return from the center main is filtered. So the draw tube for the oil pump is pulling oil from the pan, thru the wire strainer. That strainer is basically your protection for your pump from sucking-in metal/debris that could sieze or damage your pump. I recommend using the strainer at a minimum, the filter.. don't know that it does that much good really. I think Jeff is probably right that your cover or wire strainer is probably catching on a burr or cocked & keeping it from pushing- up all the way. I use a thin bead of silicone on coverplate side of the gasket when I assemble. It is a bit tough to keep everything lined-up while pushing-up on the strainer, filter, & cover plate & getting it threaded. The silicone keeps the gasket glued in place on the cover plate so that is one less thing to line-up. You may have better luck with a make-it-yourself gasket, thicker the better. The ones I get from the dealer are pretty think rubber, maybe 1/4", which may help compensate for some uneveness around the cover plate. George
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