160-degree thermostat too cold?

10.5 with J heads and no quench. What were you thinking when you built that? You been readin too many forum genius threads. You cannot run that much compression with iron heads and no quench. You're going to have to either limit the timing curve so badly that it runs like sheeot or run race gas. Take your pick.

X3 on above. On the 160 degree thermostat, I used to run them all the time for decades. Your heater will not put out air as warm as a 195 degree thermostat. And no, a 160 degree thermostat will not fix detonation or a marginal cooling system.