4.3 Mercruiaer thermostat housing help!

[TheFastMan]

Hello, all, first time posting. I took my thermostat housing off to winterize my boat last year (86 Chris Craft, 4.3 v6) because the manual said so. I decided to replace the thermostat and gaskets while I was in there. I got the parts from the dealer and when I went to assemble, the cork gasket (#6 in the diagram) between the sleeve (#7) and the thermostat (#5) makes the sleeve stick up high. The top cap isn't recessed for the sleeve. Should I forgoe the gasket? Assemble anyway? File the sleeve down? Also, would non-hardening sealant be acceptable to seal the gaskets? It was recommended to me, but I want to double check. One picture shows how its supposed to go together and it is how it came apart so I'm sure I am assembling it correctly. Thanks for any help!

 

[alldodge]

Cork compresses
Was the original gasket cork, and did it compress thin?

 

[TheFastMan]

Cork compresses
Was the original gasket cork, and did it compress thin?

I pretty sure the original wasn't cork. Maybe I'll try bolting it together with some nuts to see how much it will compress before I install it on the boat.