Technical 1950 Cadillac oil pump question

Hi everyone, hopefully this is the correct place to post this im new to this forum. Ive recently started putting my 331 Cadillac v8 back together after rebuilding it and my gasket kit comes with an oil pump gasket, now in my shop manual for the car it says nothing about adding a gasket when reinstalling the oil pump to the crankcase, but an image in the manual of the distributor and oil pump setup shows a gasket there but again no mention just a photo. To add to that when I removed the pump there was no gasket so I ***umed i could reinstall it then not 1 hour later i came across the photo and its got me questioning weather i should add it. I just wanted to get some advice on what I should do? thanks, Joshua

 

I notice this too my '57. 371 but it shows no gasket... and thought it should have a gasket there too ..but my manual DOSE not show a gasket

 

On the pump to block mating surface - face it absolutely flat on a piece of plate & 600 wet-or-dry. ***emble w/o gasket. I'd lock***e the hdwr ....

 

I recall the oil pump discharges into the block p***age...then outside the block to the oil filter housing...back out the housing into the main galley.
I would install a gasket or seal the mating surface for sure.... the pump outlet needs to be leak free so all the oil makes it to where it is needed.
I would say you had a good catch....

 

Both of my Cad engines have had gaskets between the oil pump and the rear main cap. All of the gasket sets I've bought for them have included gaskets for the oil pump/main cap interface. So, I've always installed the gaskets. Never any issues...

 

I guess the question I would ask myself, is what could it hurt?

 

yea so after some thinking and then after reading the replies from this post I have decided to add the gasket because yea it may not mention it but it obviously shows a image of it plus hearing "warbird1" put them on his Cadillac and its true can it hurt personally idk lol but I feel it may help more plus its in the kit so... anyways I just got done reinstalling the oil pump with the gasket and im happy with the decision. Thanks everyone!