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steve when i fitted a turbo to my 1993 1200 vauxhall engine all i did to bring down the compression of the standard N/A engine was to fit a copper gasket spacer (got a machine shop to cut out a sheet of copper to the same as the head gasket!) use the copper gasket as you would fit a head saver shim! then fit your head gasket and rebuild engine! (So all you need to work out is how thick you need it to be to reduce the compression to the level you require !

Works honest! actually it worked well! alot of people got a fright from my 1200 nova! it had around 90BHP! (Std Engine had 45BHP!)

also this method does not require any mods to your original parts to accomplish!! apart from the equivelent of doing a head gasket!!

A HEAD SAVER SHIM IS LIKE A VERY THIN GASKET WHICH IS USED IF THE HEAD IS SKIMMED TO ITS LIMITS! BUT ALSO THE IDEA WOULD REDUCE COMPRESSION!!
DEPENDING HOW MUCH COMPRESSION YOU ARE NEEDING TO LOOSE EITHER COPPER GASKET THEN HEAD GASKET THEN REFIT HEAD OR IF STILL NEEDING TO REDUCE COMPRESSION USE SECOND HEAD GASKET BUT FIT AS FOLLOWS = HEAD GASKET THEN COPPER GASKET THEN SECOND HEAD GASKET THEN REFIT HEAD ON TOP!

HOPE THIS HELPS STEVE ITS THE CHEAPEST WAY I HAVE FOUND TO DO THIS !
I WOULDNT USE EXPENSIVE HEADGASKETS AS CHEAP ONES DID THE SAME JOB AS THERE WAS LESS CYLINDER PRESSURE IN THE BORES!!
YOU ALSO COULD JUST FIT TWO HEAD GASKETS IF YOU ARE NOT REQUIRING TO REDUCE THE COMPRESSION THAT MUCH !!
MY 1200 TURBO IS STILL GOING ON STRONG !!SOON TO BE A 1600 TURBO!! BUT ON WITH THE UNO FIRST EH!!

HAPPY TUNING STEVE!!

you dont need a thick copper plate a thin one will surprise you in the compression drop why not try two head gaskets without the copper plate?? this would probably reduce it enough! and would not affect the Squish bands in any way if in doubt give it a bit more of a tighten head bolts take a serious stretch!! so it would be fine! if it doesnt work to your satisfaction you can always mod the head second time round and remove the second gasket! ( as you cant put material back on to you cyl head once you remove it!!)

if you want it done technically right you should use a steel head saver which is like the copper gasket and all you do is stick it down to the block surface with hylomar sealant then put on your head gasket and refit your head (the saver shim is now once fitted part of the block and is not even a 1mm thick!
Actually steve the saver shim is under .5mmthick well the one i fitted! because it is steel it wont affect your sealing rings on your gasket and will tighten down the same as standard!


THEN AGAIN WHY NOT RUN LOWER BOOST PRESSURES AT THE HIGHER COMPRESSION TO ACHEIVE THE SAME RESULT !OR EVEN GAIN A LITTLE MORE TORQUE?? MORE RELIABLE AND EVEN BETTER TO DRIVE!