hey bud!

I know its a reasonably old post but i just got back from work so heres a reply.

First, i reckon youre understalled and undergeared, not a real drama but loading the engine down with that will affect how aggressive you can get with the tune.

Given you have a programmable ignition id probably start with something a little tame, then HEAPS of road testing or dyno work to decide what youre engine likes but id probably want about 22 degrees initial timing, and id keep the total to 28/29 just until you know whats happening.

For an rpm reference, id be winding in total timing around 3000rpm, so start at 22, get all your total in by 3000rpm and work from there.

You have low comp for that cam so you might find you need more timing than an equivalent engine at around 10.5:1 (which is where id have that cam) but without knowing how good the heads are im loathe to give advice that will burn your s*** up.

Is this a Carburetted engine?

If so, to get a nice stable idle and make tuning easier you can use more initial timing, airspeed is slow, booster signal is lousy and people blame carburettors for the s*** operating at low load/low speed when the reality is that the engine is a dog and outside the operating parameters for good atomisation with a carb.

If youre concerned about loading the engine under cranking with 22 degrees, set the MSD to say, 15 degrees until rpm reaches around 900rpm, then hit it with 22, id say that engine will probably like to idle around 1000rpm anyway, and with a flat tappet, low comp and a "decent" amount of cam youll need the idle rpm to be high to keep everything happy.

Ill add more as i consider it, or amend if my drunken afternoon has caused me to give bad advice, remember its easier to be conservative than agressive and until you really know the engine/car combo youre better off giving away 15hp than burning it up due to greed.

summary:

22 initial, no more than 30 total, and youll be somewhere close, then once you know whats going on you can mess with high rpm retard, pulling timing around peak torque and getting stuck into all the MSD can do for you.

Make sure the carb (if youre running one) is close, and set up by someone who actually knows how its supposed to work, i cant find many that can tune one anymore and if its a quaddy, im out, i only mess with holleys and thats because theyre cheap to buy and cheap to modify and any dickhead can make it work, i definietely fit the last criteria LOL.

Good luck