Here is the deal. I bought a 73 Dart Sport 340 car. It has a 69 340 in it with X heads. I had a bent valve and other issues that needed addressing so I took it out. I decided to "freshen it up". I took it out and apart. Found bent intake valve and heads needed rebuilding. I decided I would put a set of closed chambered aluminums on and set the quench to .040 with gaskets and if needed crown machining. The deck didn't look so good, very grainy, so I sent it out for decking. Crank was .020 under on the mains and .030 under on the rods and looked nice. Home polished it miked it, good to go, pistons are .030 over and look great even the timing chain was tight. I had one odd ball rod so I bought a set of "H" beams in stock length. I was told the block was twisted and a special fixture was needed to deck it properly. I told him its the only block I have so make it right. When I picked it up I asked how much was removed. His reply was which end? I had a sinking feeling... Fast forward to today. I was doing my mock up to see where I stood to get the quench I was after. I measured the piston to deck before I disassembled it. It was +.018.
Now the problem. After carefully measuring the deck and triple checking it and inline with the wrist pin, checking the rock, I think I'm screwed. I am way out of the hole now (see pics). With a .040 gasket I would need to remove .040 off the top of the pistons. Seems like to much. Then I may have a problem with the valve pockets. I already own the heads so... Any ideas you motor heads could throw my way would be REALLY appreciated. I don't want to source a another block. But the car must live on. (I soda blast the top of one of the pistons)
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