You don't have to goop a lot of silicone either. If you use a gasket, I rub it with the silicone with my fingers to get a light coat on the whole gasket. Then I do the same with both gasket surfaces. Remember that however much silicone squishes out, when you tighten it down, the same amount will squish in. The excess is waste and has potential to break off inside. Not so bad in a rear end, but when you have those habits and use it on an engine, you could be looking for plugged oil passages and engine failure.
