Hey, Gary--that was just my humble opinion. Meant no offense. 302 to 400, I've found that a small-block needs at least 10-12 degrees initial to run sharp, and you cannot run that much crank lead on 93 octane. 4 degrees is actually around where 93 won't rattle with that much compression, but you lose so much response and power it's sickening. And they need a quick advance curve--36-38 degrees total all in by 2500. I was talking about fine-tuned ultimate performance, not getting the engine to live on the crap gas we have today. Those engines were designed when you could buy 102-octane Sunoco 260 premium with real lead at the pump for 30 cents a gallon, and they were jetted fat, not lean. A DZ 780 Holley was calibrated to run rich--72 primary jets are not lean..chuckle. Try this; buy a tank of high-octane racing gas and bump your initial timing up to 10 degrees, then flog the car. I believe you'll be amazed at how much more responsive and free-revving the engine is, and how much more crisp it is. And you'll be delighted at the extra power turned loose. I may sound like a dinosaur, and I guess I am, but this is how they were tuned back in The Day, and those 302s screamed like banshees when unleashed on good gas. Just my humble input from a guy who was there. Good luck.
