Ign Timing weirdness - 318

So I havent driven the dart much in the last couple years, been doing bodywork, paint, and re-assembly.

Anyway, its all back together and i've been driving it a bit, and it just seems gutless, no power. So I went to check the timing just for the heck of it. Did it like the book said, pull the vacuum line and plug it then check timing. Hooked up the timing light and the marks were showing about 10 degrees after tdc.
Also weird, the book says when you pull the vacume line and plug it, there shoudn't be any change in idle speed.
When I pull mine and plug it, the idle drops significantly and it runs a little rough.
Anyway, I set the marks to about 2 degrees before tdc. Book says 0, but at 5000 ft altitude we always go a couple degrees advanced.
So shut it off tighten everything down hook the vacume line back up, Start it up and it runs like crap, very rough idle, like of like it had a big cam or something, and it does not.
So I move the dist back to were it was before I started (approx.) and take it for a drive, was pinging slightly under a load, so adjusted just till pinging wasn't present under load. Runs pretty good, Idles well, car just still feels very sluggish.
So get back home put the light back on to see what it reads with the dist in this "road tested" setting.
With the vacume hooked up, it reads about 5 degrees after.
With the vacume disconnected and plugged it reads about 20 degrees after ? WTH?
Am I doing something wrong? Or is it possible that the outer ring of my vibration damper has spun and the mark is no longer were it should be?

Heres my setup
68 dart 2-door
71 318, bored 30 over, 9:1 compression pistons,
Edelbrock performer manifold
Edelbrock 600cfm carb
340 auto camshaft
early 340 exhaust manifolds
dual 2.25" exhaust all the way with walker quietflow muffs
mopar perf electronic ign
904 automatic
3:23 Gears.
Car just feels like a slug, especially off the line.

Vacuum advance sounds like you have it plugged into manifold vacuum and not the timed ported where it should be?

you should be plugged into the vacuum port to the left of the PCV (large port)
instructions case you lost them right at the top of page 2.
http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/instructions/edl-1405.pdf

I assume you don't have a dial back timing light or marks on the harmonic.
Unhook and plug vacuum advance again.
Set it to about 5 before TDC and go for a drive forget the vacuum advance for now if it pings back it off till it stops if it don't maybe try 2 more degrees. if it's still fine go home set the in gear idle the way you want it helper in the car is a must.

"Now" plug the vacuum advance into the timed port (the one to the left) should make no change in idle drive around and see if it pings at cruise under light acceleration.
If it does tune vacuum advance back with 3/32 allen key in through the port on the vacuum canaster on the dizzy turning counter clockwise a turn or two at a time till any ping under light cruise load is gone and you should be good to go.

Quote:

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Book says 0, With the vacume hooked up, it reads about 5 degrees after.
With the vacume disconnected and plugged it reads about 20 degrees after ? WTH?

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(1) forget what the book says as that is for a stock '71 (I'm assuming 71 model year eng). (2) What Dodgem said, you are on manifold vacuum & I'd go to ported (on pass front of carb) & cap the full vacuum nipple on the drivers side. I'm not sure how wild that cam is but I'd set the initial at 10 or 15 depending on the cam's wildness with the vac adv on the pass (ported) side & I'm assuming the idle speed is low enough that you ain't into the carb transition slots at idle (that you have no ported vac at idle) but to be sure I would cap the line then set the initial (10 or 15) then plug the line back in. Then with the initial finalized (I'd actually prefer to use the vacuum gauge method to get it spot on) I'd then shorten the slots to get 35 total & this is initial + slot advance amount checked with the vac adv capped. then work on the springs going heavier till you are just under the pinging point at WOT up thru the gears on your hottest/driest day. THEN plug in the vac adv to ported on the pass side & adj it (2 adjustments) & more on that later. Any ping you can hear is WAY too much pinging. Is this a Mallory based MP dist or older 70' one & what springs are in there? I would check the reluctor gap & want .008" at it's closest point checked with a vac pump