How much are you milling? Yes you can use a shorter rod, It may mess with the geometry alittle.

 

GOing to be milling .045 and hopefully use a .045 thick gasket if I can find one. If not, stock .054 gasket.

 

Just got off the phone with Cometic. They recommend the stock LS1 gasket (3.910 bore) with a 5.3. So That is what I am going with in the .045 thickness.

I should end up with a 10.2:1 static CR and .037 squish area.

 

You are taking .045 off the heads and .009 from the smaller gasket, I would use a shorter pushrod or shim the rocker stands. A 7.350 would be ideal, Do you know how much preload you have now? What are the specs on that cam?

 

Current cam specs are 210/218, .551/.551, 112

Considering a 216/224, .551/.551, 115 or 113 after the head swap and TB converter.

I have no idea what my preload is now. I have 7.4" TR pushrods, everything else is stock. I was planning on going down to a 7.35" pushrod.

 

If you change the cam make sure you check the piston to valve clearance, with the 216/224 you might be close.

I think you will be good with the 7.350, I am on my third set of pushrods, trying to get the preload rite with the HS rockers, I am on 7.325 Comps and just shimmed the rocker pedastal with the WCCH heads cause we took .025 off my heads. I am rite at 1 1/4 turn, 1/4 turn= .010 of preload, suppose to be anyway. 40 - 80 thousand is recommended.

You should be good with that c/r, too much cylinder pressure is not good in these trucks.

 

I'll be checking piston to valve clearance for sure, and I'll have a set of stock heads gaskets standing by just in case it's too tight.