Another overheating situation 63 Slant six

Hideogumperjr said
Timing has been set at 8BTDC to 0TDC to retarded so much it lacks any power at all and still overheats.
The radiator is supposed to be a stock brass/copper I assume, not aluminum, radiator from a newer dart between 67-72 as I remember, it has been a few years since I bought it. Overall it fits the opening but is thinner than the original one.
I bought the radiator off craigslist still boxed but it was rebuild for sure. Ill check the row count and fire her up today to see if I can better document the heating situation.
Cheers and happy spring.

Why would you retard timing trying to make it run cool? Here's how that works. When timing is retarded, the engine runs hotter. That's perhaps the number ONE first time engine start mistake in the WORLD.

With timing retarded, the mixture is ignited late and STILL burning coming out of the exhaust. The result is an over heated engine. I remember you said somewhere your engine has a mild cam, and the head is milled .100". I just put a modified 225 in my 64 Valiant. My build is similar, but my head was milled .155" (don't ask) and my cam is 250@ .050 duration ground on a 108 lobe separation. I have my timing on about 16-17 BTDC. 15 degrees is the last mark on the scale and the timing mark is just a "tic" before the scale. Total is about 35 degrees and it's all in by 3000 RPM. More timing will likely help your situation.....possibly......but retarded will 100% make it worse.

Here's a good method I learned years ago an older gentleman taught me. Before you make your timing adjustment, put your hand on the valve cover. Get a "feel" for the engine's vibration. I know....this sounds stupid but bear with me. Now, loosen the distributor and start advancing the timing until you feel a hard "rumble" through the valve cover, then back off until that "extra" rumble stops and go drive it. I know. It sounds like some stupid voodoo, but 9 times out of 10 it works very well.

But trust me when I tell you, retarding timing is the WRONG way to go. It might not be your issue, but it sure won't help.