I have hot plugs and too much timing but not lean fuel mixture I have to find a good working carb that I can run the car at idle and check the timing with timing light and see whats going on if it still runs hot I will change the sparks to colder ones

 

with spark plugs,
NGK's if the number goes higher then it is a colder plug. TR7 is colder than TR6 which is colder than TR55, TR5, TR4, etc.
The champions and AC delcos are opposite, lower number is a colder plug, so R43 is colder than R44, R45, etc.

an easy way to check if you have the correct heat range plug is idle the engine with no load, up to 1500 rpms is ok, for 5 minutes. Then shut down and look at a few plugs, if they are dry sooty black then that is dry-fouled because they are too cold a heat range. This of course assumes your timing and A/F mixture is correct to begin with, and the spark plugs should also be clean and newish to begin with otherwise you might be making a wrong conclusion.

http://ngkaz.home.att.net/wsb/html/v...ome.html-.html
you can download the ngk cross reference excel sheet here, tells you spark plug reach which is the primary criteria for cross-referencing plugs, aside from the obvious thread size/pitch and seat style. The white papers in the link are also worth reading.

as for not running a thermostat and the engine overheating from coolant not staying in contact with engine components long enough, that's absurb. There is always [cold] coolant flowing through the engine so with no thermostat there is simply no control over regulating temperature quickly or maintaining a constant temperature, and if the engine does overheat then that proves the heat output from the engine has exceeded the cooling system's capacity of rejecting heat.

For an aluminum head (and block) it has a greater ability to shed heat so you can run them hotter more easily than iron. Iron will hold heat in more so generally a 160-180F thermostat is the norm. If you're in a hot climate (80+ F) all the time then a 160 would probably be better than a 180,
but the other important thing you have to consider which everyone overlooks is airflow in to and out of the engine compartment. This is one of the greatest factors affecting the cooling system, in contrast of thinking a bigger radiator is better. You need to look at the system as a whole, heat is produced, and where does it have to go- outside the engine bay. Having airflow all screwed up, even with a monster sized radiator and a cold thermostat, will simply cause the heat to build up in the engine bay, heat soaking the engine, and carb, causing problems. With proper airflow, you can run a 190 thermostat on a carb'd engine and get very good performance, but i would also take into consideration heat conduction from the intake manifold into the carb, this is when you would want a non-metal (non heat-conducting) carb spacer to isolate the carb from the intake manifold.

and for old style, pre-vortec, iron sbc heads the standard spark plug was AC-R43TS which is a 0.460" reach (less than 1/2 inch). The plugs for vortec style heads have a long reach, denoted by AC-R43LTS which is 0.708".

 

Damn 1FMF, thats a lot of good info. I have a question though, would it be a bad thing to run too hot a plug? If Im running an r-45t and it actd like **** when its could you think I should go with a hotter plug or maybe the problem isnt my plugs at all?
When I say it runs bad when its cold I mean it Sputters under acceleration when its @ around 150* As it warms up the sputtering gets higher in the rpm's. Like, 180* starts to act up at about 4800, 190* a little over 5K and 210* it will run good till 6K.
My timing is set at 18* with 38* total, The carb is a holley 3310 750cfm with # 72 jets. I dont REALLY know how to tune a carb though so im sure that has something to do with it.

 

yes it is a bad thing to run too hot a plug, under load and at high rpm it'll be a hot spot and cause preignition, and if too hot the plug electrode will start to melt.
99% of the time it's in the carb, and from your description that's what it sounds like but can it also be ignition? what ignition are you running, are there points?


FYI AC and champion plug heat ranges are colder as the number is lower-> r42 is colder than r43..r44.. r45. You're using an r45 so that is on the hotter side to begin with, the norm is r43 and r44. NGK plugs are opposite, higher number is colder -> tr6 is colder than tr5.
And if you read the tech white paper in the link above, spark plugs operate at 800-1800F, with the optimal being around 1300F so they burn off contaminants and stay clean. Here is where you choose the correct heat range plug, which is based on compression ratio, fuel type, cylinder pressures and engine load. Coolant temp as very little to do with it, simply consider the temperature differences. Cylinder temps around 1500F, your coolant temps are between 100-200F. Coolant temps are over a 1000 degrees less, they are not going to influence the spark plugs, but coolant temps do have an affect on carb mixture. I would guess based on your description of it running better when hotter, that the carb is lean, and as it gets hotter the lean mixture is more inline with the hotter intake air (the colder denser intake air when engine is cold requires a richer mixture). And you say you don't know how to tune a carb, which i assume also means the carb has not been tuned, so again it's probably the carb. Step 1 is adjust the floats to have the correct fuel level in the bowls, this can sometimes solve all your problems, then adjust your idle mixture and go from there.
once you get that straightened out, then run the engine with clean plugs for a little bit then pull the plugs and check their color, should be a light tan with little to no dry black stuff. If they're white-ish and exceptionally clean then your using too hot a plug and step down to r44, recheck, and step down again if need be. For an older sbc, I'm guessing a compression ratio 9:1 at best if not in the 8's, so you'll want to run a hotter plug. Higher compression ratios with higher cylinder pressures will use a colder plug because there is more heat in the combustion chamber.

another good spark plug article you might like
http://www.centuryperformance.com/sp...ch-spg-26.html

 

The ignition is an MSD strretfire HEI unit with no vacuum lines hooked up.

Do I adjust the floats while its running? I have messed with the carb a little but i dont really know what the heck im doing as far as tuning it. You might be right that the prob is the carb. I didnt think it was related but when im trying to maintain speed (like cruising 60 on hwy) it really doesnt like it. It acts fine with even the slightest acceleration or decelleration but hesitates or starts to "jerk" when cruising.

Can you just come down to Texas and tune it for me? LOL j/k
Imma go find the tuning procedures for my carb now.....

 

for a holley 3310 dbl pumper, yes it is designed to you can adjust the floats with engine running. On each bowl, there's a screw in the side which is a sight, you remove this then start the engine and idle it and fuel should be level with this opening, barely trickling out, much like how you fill a gearcase with oil until oil flows out the vent hole... except you have gas here so have some rags under it and no ignition sources nearby.

http://holley.com/data/TechService/T...Carburetor.pdf

http://www.bob2000.com/carb.htm

because you say it hesitates and jerks when cruising tells me it's lean in the transition circuit, which is where 99% of all carbs have problems either from poor float setting, incorrect idle mixture setting, or being dirty. Dirt/sediment/rust usually ends up there because they are very small passages and that clogs first, the carb typically operates in that circuit most of the time hence the problem. The solution is to pull the carb and clean it out with carb cleaner and compressed air. pencil points to transition slots:

 

Thats a lot of good info, im going to try some of the adjustments this weekend if I get a chance. If I get lucky I might be able to adjust the bowls tomorrow. Ill let you know how it goes....

 

So I got off work early and got to wrenchin...
I lowered the secondary a little bit and reset the idle mixture needles. The primary bowl had the fuel level right at the edge and the secondary let some fuel out as soon as I started to remove the screw.
I adjusted the idle mixture screws all the way in and then 1.5 turns out.
Took it out for a test drive with the engine temp at 195*. The surging while cruising is gone and it went to 5900 and then it started to hesitate again. I will try testing it again when the engine is cooler to see if the problem is actually solved.