oil pump gasket, yeah or nay

Yeah, actually it does. A Melling engineer said in a webinar that an oil pump needs a gasket. He ought to know and he’s not guessing like some people do.
I'm not arguing the point, because it is valid. But Chrysler engineers didn't think it was necessary, and that's not a place where "cost cutting" would come into play. Like I said earlier, probably with an HP/HV pump is where it may become more critical.