Simso, maybe you should pull that engine and go over everything. .027" out the hole and .008" out the hole is way to much tolerance stacking. I got a cheap built 385 on the stand and just to see, I checked mine. This is a standard deck height, .040" over bore with cheap hyper pistons, cast crank, and 5.7 I-Beam rods. No decking, no line bore, cheap, cheap, cheap. My pistons are .024"-.025" in the hole. I checked them all and the .001" could have been me trying to hurry. I checked the block with a straight edge also and it is pretty straight.

I know if I had .019" difference, I would suspect something isn't right. You should be throwing oil all over with the valve covers off. Cam bearings could be shot. I would check all clearances and if you paid these guys to build the short block, I'd go bring it back to them to fix my piston out the hole issue. If they had to deck the block more than .025", they should have started with another block. I could handle a little bit out the hole, but .027" is excessive in my book. I like Zero decked and .039" head gasket but will settle for .025" in the hole and embossed .015" shim gasket.

BTW, that 3 degrees from freezing gave me shivers and goose bumps. Got to go to bed and snuggle up to the wife.