Thanks for all the comments and inputs. It will be sometime befre \i return home but like most car owners you have time to think on issues and have a plan in place to correct those issues, hence my reaching out for advice. To answer a few questions:
**I've read through the 6 Pack tuning manifesto.....may review it again.
**I'm running edlebrock performer aluminum heads.
**I've never used a temp gun, good thought.
**I have a 4/5 blade clutch fan in place with fan shroud. Would a 5 blade fixed fan be better?
**As for "running warmer than I like", it just seems my temp gauge needle is to far to the "hot" side of the gauge when driving slow or stop/starting in traffic (and then again, maybe nothing is wrong and this is where the engine operates according to the set up).
**I have a new 4 row radiator installed and understand the efficiency of the air flow thru the radiator.
**I never gave any thought to wiring the choke fully open and the effect on the engine running rich.
All great points to consider, my car and I thank everyone for the help, please feel free to add comments as every comment helps.
It took me a while to realize the choke was not gonna work right with the same heads that you have. Fouled a few plugs until I got wise and wired my choke fully open. It starts and runs fine cold and then ran even better at WOT with no choke trying to close. Then my jetting was right on as the carbs came to me new.
If you have a clutch fan, then replace the clutch, they do go bad and allow the motor to run hot at low speeds.
At high temps you should be able to hear that clutch engaged as the fan will make more noise and you can watch the temp gauge drop.
If you see the gauge climb when you slow down, then you know something is up. It really don't matter what the gauge is reading because it is working and you know it is hotter at idle than it was going down the road.
I have the same motor/heads and 6 pak on my 71 and it can idle all day long on a 95° day and not get hot with the AC on.
I have a clutch fan(216) and can hear when it is engaged. Like when I come off the highway to a stop light, my motor heats up a little and when the light turns green my fan is engaged and I can hear it. A 1/2 mile or less down the road it disengages and the my temp gauge goes down a little driving in the city.
If it gets hot idling at a stop sign then you should hear that fan as you pull away with the fan clutch engaged. That is how a clutch fan equipped car should operate.
