Preferred head gasket for a 3.0L?

[LeftHander]

Block seems to measure not quite flat, maybe 0.0025" max between two cylinders.

Any suggestions for a machine shop in the San Jose area to get the heads milled? 0.0025" to 0.0045" unflat. These were remanned a couple years ago, from O'Reilly's', ..... grrrrr.

Are the T-T-Yield headbolts really an improvement over traditional bolts?

 

[arse_sidewards]

These aren't high strung engines and they've got closed decks and iron heads. Just about anything you toss on there will work well for a long time.

IDK what you're doing on about regarding TTY head bolts. Any head bolt is TTY, or not. Depends on the torque spec you follow. Do whatever it says for your '96 (which IIRC is the short bolt and non-TTY).

 

[19Walt93]

Torque to yield head bolts are supposed to give more equal clamping force but I'm not a fan. My preferred head gaskets are Felpro's Permatorque but Victor Reinz has some good ones, too.
Planing the heads and decking the block will improve gasket sealing and increase compression a little, more compression means more power and that won't hurt a 3.0.