If your distributor has a vacuum advance system om it, I would use it in your application. Although it has nothing to do with your problem. It is mainly there to improve fuel mileage at cruise by dumping in an additional 15 - 16" of vacuum ( on top of your mechanical advance )at light load ( cruise ) conditions to improve mileage. If you are running some boarder line temperature issues it can help there also. The minute you mash on the gas peddle, the vacuum advance system is out of the picture. Weather you use it or not is mostly a matter of preference. A lot of street performance guys don't use them and most race oriented distributors don't even have them. If you drive on the street alot, and it sounds as though you do, I would use vacuum advance.