Is Quench Required?

I'd zero deck it and use a quality thinner gasket.... Running Trick Flows your probably already using ARP bolts or studs, freshly cut flat deck surface, fresh head surfaces head gaskets properly torqued your gaskets should be fine.... I like building for quench if possible...

8.24 DCR with aluminum heads & tight quench should be fine...

Seems to me your going with a 42RH... Consider this..

I recently was working on a 340 that would ping only in high gear, 1st-2nd & 3rd it loves 35 degrees, but when it hits O/D it would rattle... I used an MSD stepped timing control when the signal to shift into O/D occurs it triggers a 4 degree retard of timing.... Runs great...