new engine in...running hot.

[Montclaire]

Yikes, do a little tuning and get things under control first. Might want to swap to peanut plugs to give you some more room on the wire boots. Do you have a vacuum gauge? Don't forget, if you have the MP distributor the advance is adjustable through the vac port, but you should get the mallory kit as well.

 

[coloradodave]

Glowing orange exhaust is a definate indication of retarded timing. Advance the timing. Check initial timing with the vacuum advance disconnected. Try setting it at +- 14*.

 

[383man]

Glowing orange exhaust is a definate indication of retarded timing. Advance the timing. Check initial timing with the vacuum advance disconnected. Try setting it at +- 14*.

That is correct as I have seen glowing headers before because of retarded timing. And of course make sure it is not to lean as late timing and to lean will also make it run hotter. Rom

 

[has2bmopar]

Headers will glow under power, but shouldn't at idle. I agree with the lean diagnosis, fatten up the carb and advance the timing a bit-retarded motors run hot-but that would mean Chev small blocks should run at about 1300 degrees. Never mind....

Agree completely, especially about the SB Chevy comment. I am going to considerable trouble and expence putting a 360 in my boat after giving the original 350 (Mercruiser) a chance. The pistons were breaking edges off above the top ring land, with no signs of detonation... Simply just crap, as the thing on it's best day pulled 4600 RPM.

The only advice here that I would wonder about, is setting the initial timing at 14 degrees advanced, as my experience with several Mopar distributors with varied replacement springs end up with total advance at 36-38 when the initial is at 8-10 degrees. I would assume elevation could play a part on this also, as I see ColoradoDave might have had some to deal with.

I just finished a 440 earlier this year and around the 200 mile mark the temp slowly dropped about 5 degrees while cruising.

 

[djais1801]

nice boat!
Well...we fattened out the carb, and the timing was good, put a fan shroud on...ran it around town and then on a small highway at about 50mph...and it hit 230 again...climbed to 235, and (maybe not connected) it started bogging down again, and backfiring when hot.
so back to the garage she went..and don't have time to find the gremlins running thru my poor satty!!!
super frustrating!!!:angryfire:

 

[djais1801]

going to flush the radiator tomorrow...hopefully i will have good news

 

[Ron 73]

Good luck hopefully this will solve the problem! Very nice boat!!

 

[Hemirunner]

nice boat!
Well...we fattened out the carb, and the timing was good, put a fan shroud on...ran it around town and then on a small highway at about 50mph...and it hit 230 again...climbed to 235, and (maybe not connected) it started bogging down again, and backfiring when hot.
so back to the garage she went..and don't have time to find the gremlins running thru my poor satty!!!
super frustrating!!!:angryfire:

It's backfiring and getting hot quick.(both signs of retarted timing) Timing is not "good". What are you running for a distributor? Vacuum advance? Is it hooked up? What's the total advance at idle? What's the total advance at about 3200 rpm? Is that with our without vacuum advance hooked up? Give us some info so we can help you.

 

[daredevil]

didnt read all the posts first

 

[djais1801]

Light at the end of the tunnel: the vaccum advance was hanging up, put a spacer on the carb, drilled two holes in the throttle plate. the mechanical temp guage line was lying on the intake manifold, giving a false reading..pulled the radiator and used a camera wire to see inside, almost all the cores are filled with something (looks like barrs leak). ordered a new radiator, adding an electric cooling fan from a lincoln mkviii (thanks onebadmk8). the radiator should be in by thursday..so hopefully by monday i will FINALLY be cruising.

 

[Ron 73]

Best of luck to ya!

 

[Montclaire]

Light at the end of the tunnel: the vaccum advance was hanging up, put a spacer on the carb, drilled two holes in the throttle plate. the mechanical temp guage line was lying on the intake manifold, giving a false reading..pulled the radiator and used a camera wire to see inside, almost all the cores are filled with something (looks like barrs leak). ordered a new radiator, adding an electric cooling fan from a lincoln mkviii (thanks onebadmk8). the radiator should be in by thursday..so hopefully by monday i will FINALLY be cruising.

I just got a “like” on this thread from 2012. And the OP had literally every conceivable cooling problem. Lol
CHECK THE SIMPLE STUFF FIRST!

 

[MOPOWER871]

SHROUD !!