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Quench and different piston heights.

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old cars:
Standard head gaskets typically have a compressed thickness around .040-inches. That works well for stock and most street performance builds if the piston is even with or slightly below the deck at TDC. If the rotating assembly height is taller than the deck height, the piston will protrude past the deck surface and may require a thicker gasket to give adequate clearance.
You should never be less than .035-inches. The quench distance should be increased if the piston has enough rock at TDC to protrude above the deck. High RPM and aluminum connecting rod applications will require additional clearance as well due to their expansion at operating temperatures and high speeds.

Cliff Ruggles:
Ideal is .035", some builders go tighter with steel rods.

Never over .040" for any reason here, and I'm nicely rewarded with engines that use higher compression, manage pump fuel just fine, make great power, take LESS timing and fuel to be happy, and they run much cooler than building the same engine with a lot of quench in it.

If you are using cast pistons with tight bore tolerances I know builders who consider .025" minimum for steel rods......

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