Agreed. A typcal felpro SBC gasket is .039in thick. IOW, your piston should be at or a few thousanths above deck when at TDC to achiev proper squish.. mv >I would like to add that most squish is lost because the piston top is >below the deck. You need ~ .035-.040 from the piston to the head - measure >it - or ping could be a problem. TomS >