timing vs engine temperature

[chargerdon]

This weekend ill be driving my 74 360 Challenger in an annual X-mas parade.   My grandkids love riding in it in the parade.

The problem is driving approximately 3 miles in idle creep speed tends to cause probable overheating and this year the weather forecast is for an unseasonable 75 degrees!   Last year was warm also and it was starting to stumble by the end of the parade...to help i turned the heater up to full...but that of course makes it very hot for people inside !! 

With a fairly hot cam in it, i keep the static timing at about 20 degrees BTDC...      Will retarding the timing back help keep it run cooler?     PS...im using a stock 6 blade fan flex fan.   Any suggestions other than making sure the radiator is full?

[JS29]

Do you have a shroud on the radiator?

[1 Wild R/T]

Getting hot after extended slow speed operation normally indicates insufficient airflow....  Do you have a Shroud?   You should have a clutch fan i strongly suggest the Hayden 2797 Severe Duty fan clutch, on my Challenger I struggled with low speed heat creep for years, the fan clutch tested good, I'd recored the radiator, replaced the water pump, had the block boiled again when I freshened everything up.... Still it would creep, often to 220-230... never to the point of puking the coolant but it didn't give me a warm & fuzzy feeling.....  I installed a 2797 & now it doesn't ever get above 190 & it's very rare that it gets to 185....   (I have a digital readout)

[chargerdon]

Yes, I have a shroud...  but it will still creep up temp when idling that long (parade takes 35-40 mins) and never reaching speeds above 5 mph.   No i do not have a clutch on it, so fan should always be spinning at the water pump speed...   I always thought the reason for a clutch is to reduce HP consumption when at highway speeds where the fan isnt that necessary... not that it helps at all at idle???   

For JUST the parade...will reducing the timing help it to run a little cooler?   

[Chryco Psycho]

It will run cooler with more timing not less , retarding it will hurt the heat situation

[HP_Cuda]

If you have a shroud then you have have to take a look at getting that radiator cleaned out. Btw, what thermostat you running?

The clutch fan will provide max cooling while idling and then save on drag when at freeway speeds.

[1 Wild R/T]

A plugged radiator would heat up at speed... Once there's airflow the O/P sez the problem goes away....

How much pitch does the flex fan have?   You say your using a stock 6 blade fan flex fan... From what?  I'm not aware of Chrysler ever using a flex fan...  Ford did but they were recalled do to failures.... I know, I replaced a bunch of them....