Red hot 350

Help I have a problem.
Small block Chevy bored to 355. I don't know what brand pistons. The most vacumn I can pull from the cam is about 8-10 in. I don't know what brand cam or any specs. With timing set at about 16 degrees distributor (has no vacumn advance but does have a mechanical advance of about 10 degrees when accel). Has 1406 Eldebrock carb. With air/fuel mixture screws off seated 2 full turns the headers get bright red/orange from running so hot. Walker 3 core radiator with Cooling Components shroud
Any and all suggestions of a direction for me to go in would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance guys.

Jim M
Reason I don't have more information about the motor it was in car when I got it.

Dose the engine run? Set timing the best you can get with highest vac. Then use vac. gauge to set carb air fuel turn them both the same in or out till you get the highest vac. If you run a air cleaner have that on while setting the carb. Then I would set timing at 35 deg. BTDC and see what happens there. You may have to do this several times. If your headers are RED you are WAY to rich

When you don't know what you have, it's a little like feeling around in the dark. I would do what Charlie suggested. I would also check the spark plugs to see what they look like. They should give you an indication of how rich/lean your are running. A lean condition can also cause headers to glow red.

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Originally Posted by onekarnut

Help I have a problem.
Small block Chevy bored to 355. I don't know what brand pistons. The most vacumn I can pull from the cam is about 8-10 in. I don't know what brand cam or any specs. With timing set at about 16 degrees distributor (has no vacumn advance but does have a mechanical advance of about 10 degrees when accel). Has 1406 Eldebrock carb. With air/fuel mixture screws off seated 2 full turns the headers get bright red/orange from running so hot. Walker 3 core radiator with Cooling Components shroud
Any and all suggestions of a direction for me to go in would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance guys.

Jim M
Reason I don't have more information about the motor it was in car when I got it.

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Buying a hot rod with a running motor would make me nuts until I disassembled the motor and put the parts in it that made sense to me.

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At an idle speed, many conditions can cause headers to run red---------If timing isn't advanced far enough for the mixture to burn in the cylinder it will be still burning in the pipe-------
If the mixture is too rich- it will burn more in the pipe as it mixes with more air

leakie exhaust flanges cause more lean burn

do you have any pics of the engine set up???? carb, aircleaner, exhaust???????

Late to respond to post have had major medical issues in past couple of months now much better. Thanks to all who responded. On closer inspection found 2 problems with car. The harmonic balancer was not the correct one and the marks on it didn't correctly show top dead center also when P.O. installed dist he installed 1 tooth off. Found true T.D.C. marked balancer to show correct position reinstalled dist in correct position retimed now has 14# vacumn not running hot and car runs like a hot assed dog

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Originally Posted by onekarnut

not running hot and car runs like a hot assed dog

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Which tells me that if the seller had been a tuner, he would still own the car.

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