WhiteWindsor

I have a 357, ported TF's,vic jr,hp750, and a large custom grind cam. I am running aluminum rad with dual fans. I dont have a thermostat and it takes a long time for engine to warm up. I am running rich (black exhaust,black plugs,strong smell). I need to tune my carb, but i have heard that running without stat may cause car to smoke. Is there any truth to that? The car was built for track, but i like to cruise occasionally and have yet to go to track, I want to get a tune first, since i am running a little over 11.1 compression i just want to make sure there is no detonation and make sure my a/f ration is spot on.
Also when car is under load (driving down road) is want's to hesitate when getting on it. I am hoping that tuning carb will fix this. What timing in your opinion would be good to start with? The dizzy is locked out, so i am looking for a safe total tiiming to set it to. I have dig 6 ign and all MSD.

S351R13

Yes, you need a thermostat. Go with a 180 and it should help.

WhiteWindsor

Are you saying it will help with the rich condition?