I was looking through some threads about aftermarket rods and pistons (specifically vitara pistons and custon length rods [but that's really not the topic at hand]), and I suddenly thought of aftermarket head gasket sizes. More specifically, how much you tighten head bolts/studs, if you're using an thicker or thinner aftermarket gasket.

Is there any difference in how much you should tighten the bolts/studs when using a different thickness head gasket? Maybe my brain just doesn't comprehend tighten verses torque. Or maybe I just don't understand engine design (specifically how deep the the threads go into the block.)

With limited knowledge on the topic, I resort to simple thinking of the situation.

It just seems that if you tighten a bolt (not so much a stud) into a hole, with less space (thinner head gasket), that the 3 objects you're pushing together don't cover the same area. Would that mean that the head/head gasket/block combo wouldn't seal as tightly as a stock combination?

If the you're using a thicker head gasket, would the head bolts/studs be too short to seal as well, verses a stock configuration. I do realize that there would be an extra thread, or threads, which might not effect it much. But would it squeeze the headgasket too much, and flatten it, resulting in areas that are thinner that others?

Any insight into this? Or am I just over thinking this?