big block questions

To my knowledge, BHP is read off the flywheel. I don't know for sure, but I was under the impression all the steel shim gaskets were .020" thickness; that being said, if you want to bump up compression, it's time to shave the heads or use different pistons.

What all are you looking to do? What's your HP goal? Ideas? Limitations?

Define your end goal first, and the setup of the engine will be more easily defined.