440 piston choise?

[rusty dodge]

I was hoping I could get a recommendation on which rebuilt kit to go with on the 440. Basically between the L2255 piston and the L2266. So its a 72 block .030" over, stock crank, but with 516 closed chambered heads. This is a street car, so I would need to use pump gas. It will also be a mild cam, like engle K54. I'm thinking the L2266 would be correct to use. Also what head gasket thickness to go for.
Thanks

[Follicly Challenged]

Whats the compression distance on those 2266 pistons ? I forget, but weren't they around the 1.99" mark / That would place them .090" downhole, or good for around 9.25:1, or thereabouts, depending on blockmilling or actual volume of your 516 closed chamber heads.
Never heard of a "2255" Piston. Do you mean "2355" ? Thats the old 6 pack forged Piston, way too high compression for pump fuel with those heads ! (2.06" comp dist)

Bob out

[Chryco Psycho]

Yeah the 2266 is best , will give you 9.35:1 with compostion gaskets , or 9.5 approx with steel shim gaskets

[Follicly Challenged]

They still make steel shim head gaskets ? geez, I'm outa touch ! 

I better keep my old cutter head for my Storm/Vulcan Blockmaster. Was gonna "off it" on ebay since I converted to CBN. Might need that finish again afterall !

[rusty dodge]

Thanks, I'll use that 2266 piston then.

"Follicly Challenged" : seems like you brought up another point. So I guess from your post that the surface finish on the block and heads is different based on if you were to use cosmetic or steel shim gaskets?

[Chryco Psycho]

both Cometic & steel shims are steel shim gaskets , finish should be simiilar No ?

[Follicly Challenged]

I used to use a much courser finish up until recently, that was provided by a multi-carbide cutter head on my machine. 16 carbides actually. Always worked great for anything, steel shim, or regular composition(Fel-pro).

Last few years, all the Ford geeks W/aluminum heads/blowers, and cometic gaskets, wanted that real fine,(looks like a "prism", mirror shine in the light), finish for their heads, so I switched to a single CBN and wooped up the RPM with a real slow traverse.
Looks real pretty, and it's what the cometic manu's specified as rms finish. Dunno, I better check into it closer when I got more time. My bum still hurts from the cost of retro-fitting my machine !

We always used to spray "copper-Kote" on the old steel shim stuff for added integrity, seems to me, that "fine finish" may "hydraulic" when torqued using copper spray on the regular old shim. The cometics are a 3 pc with the steel in the middle sandwiched by a impregnable sealing surface, they go on dry.

Dunno, I just do what they/people want for machine pkg's for shops. My preference, I'd still use the old finish for everything I'm screwing together for myself, it's proven, and has good bite !