Hello there,
My engine is a stock SBC, .060 overbored, dished pistons (only small dish with eyebrows) and 041 heads. Now I've just done a compression calculation and have found out this:
- the displacement is 737,9cc (because it's .060 over)
- total cylinder volume is 761cc
- gasket is 1,6cc
- chamber is 68cc
That would make a compressed volume of 92,7cc and a total volume of 830,6cc, giving my engine a static CR of 9:1 pretty exactly.

Now my car is a 5000 lbs van and I would like to put some torque into that small block. I'm not concerned about top speed, but would like a smooth idle, good mileage and big fat low end torque, eventually I'm planning on putting a different rear axle ratio in, but to do that I need TORQUE
I have planned on 1 5/8" headers, going into a 2" dual exhaust, and I already have an Edelbrock Performer (not Performer RPM) Manifold and a 600 cfm carb (also Edlebrock Performer)

To achieve that, should I go higher or lower in the CR? I'm going to get new heads anyway and I'm looking at a pair of 624 castings, they have 76cc chambers and would drop the CR to 8,3. Would that help torque? I haven't heard of anyone dropping the CR so far...
Should I get heads with a bigger Exhaust valve?
Go 1.6 exhaust rocker Ratio?
Or will I need a new cam?
The 041s had 160cc runners, does anyone know what runners the 624s have?

The total cylinder vomlume was measured with an accurate burrette and the method of filling the whole cylinder with water when it's at BDC under a lexan cover with a vent hole at the very top, so possibly I'm 2 or 3cc wrong on the total volume, but I measured twice and got the same result, so I guess it's correct enough.