The Project Pad

I am confused. The AAN gasket I have has 80.6mm bores.

That is right. Smaller than 81mm.

But other people say it works no problem. Did I just get a weirdo mistake gasket or is .040" overhang really not that much of a concern?

It doesn't overhang the chamber at least.

It will work. Dana made big power that way.

The textbooks I've read say it's not ideal though.

So I finally had my AAN headgasket (the used one, not the one still in its original packaging and therefore worth HUGE MONEY to collectors) and my 82.5mm bore block (which is stamped MC... hmm) and sure enough the gasket does not overhang.

So the conclusion that i come to is that I measured wrong.