Need help deciding what size head gasket I should put on this motor. The block is an aftermarket gm crate run of the mill 350 4 bolt. The only problem is it has dish pistons......according to mortec and other places. I guess I will find out for sure when I pull the heads. Anyway I am putting a set of rebuilt 083 heads on it (still 64cc) nothing too special about them. So what thickness should I go with and what kind givin the fact that I have dish pistons I would like to try to get the compression up as much as I can. At leist in the low 9's.

I'm not intersted in putting any kind of forced induction on this as I am just trying to pretty much build it back to stock. At this time I cannot afford to do anything with the bottom end.

 

The factory used a shim gasket, ~.015" thick. If the pistons haven't been replaced and the block hasn't been decked, that will probably be about right.

If the engine is open, measure the deck height (how far below the block deck the crown of the piston is - not the dish, the piece out by the cylinder wall). You want the deck height plus the compressed gasket thickness to equal in the 0.040" range.

 

Nothing has been done to the block. Standard bore and no decking. I have been looking at the felpro 1094 gasket and I think thats what Im gona go with. Any experiance with this gasket. I have seen mixed reviews on putting a coat of copper seal on them so I am not sure about that.

I just wish I could get a rough idea on where this would put me on compression.......