[1975yellowC3]

I have an SBC350 that I am getting ready to take to the machine shop to get decks taken down to 9". After measuring, found mine to be right at the 9.025 stock height.

I was just wandering if there was a way to make the pistons work out to zero deck height with different rod length/piston comp height combinations. Using a 1.56 comp height with stock rods/stroke still leaves pistons in the hole .025. I guess I could use a .020" thick gasket and accomplish a .045 quench distance, but I would rather use a little thicker gasket.

I looked on several of the popular websites and didn't see any combos that would leave the piston flush on a 9.025 deck height motor.

I am new at this, so maybe there is a problem with having a taller comp height piston?

[ap72]

To alter the stack height you can offset grind the crank, change the rod length, change you compression height, or deck the block surface to use what you have.

[454C10]

I bought a short block years ago from a local race shop. They use 327 small journal rods and offset ground a 350 crank to get a 3.55 inch stoke (+0.075"). Then they cut the tops off a set of KB pistons at deck height. Made a 362 cid with a 4.030 bore with a zero deck height.

Not sure I would have gone thru all that trouble just to get a zero deck, but the price was right and I needed a short block.

For me, I would rather get good flowing heads than to worry too much about deck height.

Just get the block deck cut 0.010" or 0.015" and call it good.

Get some good heads.

[ericnova72]

You won't find an off the shelf piston to come out to a zero deck at 9.025", you'll have to get custom, or offset grind the crank for a little more stroke if zero at 9.025 is your goal.

Question is: is your original block deck flat at 9.025?? If it is factory and used it cetainly isn't, neither flat nor square to the main crank line. Anything used (or new factory blocks) need to be cut to true them up.