Buzz (8/6/2008)
I am about to rebuild my engine and the term 'zero deck' has been used here. Could someone explain the why and how. Couldn't this cause things to "not fit right " on down the line. and wouldn't pop-up pistons be a better option to increase C/R?‘Zero deck’ simply means machining the decks so that they are even with the piston tops. If using composition head gaskets, then there is some latitude in that you’d need to machine the decks approximately 0.020” just to get the heads where they sit back in the stock location again or they would be sitting that much too high without the machining. Because of manufacturing variances when these blocks were originally machined, going back and remachining the decks insures that both decks will be at the same heights instead of lopsided or different from side to side and end to end which will then put each piston at the same deck clearance.
Besides machining the decks for a compression ratio increase, they are also machined more for maintaining minimum quench thus reducing the propensity for detonation if the quench area was overly large to begin with. Domed pistons can push the compression ratio too high for the available pump fuel depending upon the head and piston combination being used.
Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)