Optimal Deck Clearance

I´d like to know what´s the optimal deck clearance (distance between deck and top of piston) for a street performance 302, WITHOUT BURN THE GASKETS.

I had to mill the block deck, after engine overheating. Now, the piston is 0.004" OVER the deck.

I use ARP head bolts ( 80 lbs/ft. torque ) and Victor Reinz, FEL-PRO 1011, and other gaskets. All of these was burned around quench area (near the water passage).

I want to low the top pistons, but staying a 9:1 compression ratio. I have D8OE heads (69 cc) and I think to mill 0.020" to 66cc.

Thank´s

Optimum safe deck clearance for steel rods is around 0.035". If your clearance is a verified 0.004", get a 0.040"-0.042" thick gasket and call it 'good'. Use the ARP moly lube to torque the bolts to the moly lube specs. They will be lower than the 'oil' specs. That's ok, it's slicker than oil. Add 10ft-lbs to the top row of bolts to compensate for the intake trying to leverage that side of the heads off the deck. Plus, don't over-tighten the intake. Keep going around the intake with a torque wrench until the values settle at 18-19 ft-lbs. You'll need to do it several times as the gaskets relax.

If the surface on the block and heads is SMOOTH, use MLS gaskets when using boost or nitrous.