Originally Posted by 6PAX
Originally Posted by B1MAXX
Ditch the thermostat, try again a fan blowing at the engine compartment/grill is always helpful.

But that being said at 10 minutes the cam is probably broke in.

Did you check the timing during this time?


No, I didn't check the timing. It was running so smooth I didn't think the timing was an issue. The engine is not in the car, it is on a dolly. I had a box fan blowing through the radiator and a couple of fans blowing on the sides of the motor. I tried running it again a little while ago without a thermostat and it only took 6 minutes to overheat this time. Again, with straight water. That being said, I think the first run with the t-stat I had in it it appears to have been a bad t-stat. Couldn't get it to open doing a test in a cup of boiling water. I am going to get another new t-stat to put in it. What temp t-stat should I get, 180 or 195?


I had this same problem breaking in a cam a long time ago, my headers turned cherry red and it boiled over. Found out later about the timing issue causing it, once you get the engine running and you bring it up to 2000 RPM throw the light back on it and adjust the timing so it's at 34-36 degrees and run it there. Most distributors mechanical advance isn't high enough at 2k unless you've modified it yourself. Next cam I helped a friend with he saw the samething, fired it up and the headers were staring to glow at 2k , advanced the timing and the headers stopped turning red.

running up my post count some more .