Good thinking, Bob. Scan or photocopy the cover itself, onto heavyweight paper. Cut out on lines. Spray with gasket sealant of choice, allow to dry, repeat other side.
Voilà, instant gasket.
In the old days there was this stuff called carbon paper that worked well for this kind of thing too.
In a pinch, you can smear dirty oil onto the mating surface and then use that to stamp the outline onto the paper
mystic_1
Edit: Oh, and I don't think end-clearance is a huge issue on this paticular cover, there are no bearing surfaces in it aside from the pass-through for the shift shaft, and that is a short, well-supported shaft so a few thou too much or too little clearance shouldn't kill anything.
That said, I'm a huge advocate of using fresh, high-quality gaskets every time, no matter how painful to the wallet.
-m
