Hot Rods Cam breakin timing ???

Looking for static timing recommendations for blown 354 Hemi. Primed the oil system etc and it fired right up , never had an engine start so quickly. Ran it between 2200 and 2500 for 10 mins but it started to get a little warm so shut it off. I have drilled a small hole in the thermostat to help bleed the cooling system. Going to fire it up again on Sunday and also have a large shop fan to go in front the radiator this time. I set the static timing to 12 degrees is this too much?

 

12 degrees sounds good to me. When I breakin a cam I don't use a thermostat, I gut out and old one to act as a reducer and you don't have to worry about air locks or a stuck thermostat. I also have a garden hose with a spray nozzle handy to spray down the radiator if I have problems with overheating.

 

I did the burn in on my 330 desoto at the same 12 degrees. I am still messing with the final timing but it is closer to 9 now. I didn't experience any heat issue at burn in but it was a cool day.

 

12° is more likely not enough, that's why it builds heat.
Retarded timing is worse than advanced for heat...run the timing up to 25° or so and it will stay a lot cooler during static run-in like that.

I do SBC's at about 30° @2000+ rpm. BBC and BBF, SBF the same.
If you're showing 12° @ 2500 rpm, that gives you what, 4° @ idle speed??...no where near enough.

 

I set initial timing to 12°. Its not 12 @ 2500.

 

If it started quickly with the timing you have, stay there. Get it running again and get some heat in it, run rpm high enough to get advance all in, reset timing for total advance all in #, then run it for 20 min at varying RPM for a good break in.
Have fans and cord set up to cool, water hose, fire extinguisher, distributor wrench, rags, screwdrivers for carb, big wet towel (smother carb fire), golf tee or other vacuum plugs set up on a table near the car. Set the idle high initially, adjust timing, burp the cooling system, etc.
Once cam is broken in, start dialing in your tuning.


Im generally a sbc guy, I get a new engine started, and set timing to 36 total mechanical at 3000, plug in vacuum advance, vary rpm for break in. Not sure what a good total timing #, or what RPM your engine has full advance.