Im installing a smaller new cam (204/214, 420/442, 112lsa) from the previous cam that was in my SBC 283 (230/230 480/480 109lsa) and will be changing the old head gasket .041 to a Fel-Pro 1094 which is .015 thick. Will this get me more Piston to Valve clearance since im using a smaller lift cam, with a thinner gasket. In comparison the gasket will be .026 smaller then the old gasket and the cam lift will be .060 less on the intake and .038 less on the exhaust. By making this change I will have a .040 quench using the stock deck of .025. I know that I need to mock the block and check for clearance using modeling clay, however I want to get an opinion before I go out and buy the gasket.

 

without knowing where you install the cam it's hard to say for sure. you'll have .026 less gasket and .038 less cam lift if i did my math right, which factors into valve to piston clearance. the only way to know for sure is to dummy it up and check. i've never seen much problems with a straight up cam untill around .65 lift and i don't use a gasket when i check clearance