I have been using just a stock chrysler mini starter for many years no issues, current engine is a 540 with 13 to 1 compression, locked distributor, I have a 16 volt battery. But if you retarded the timing with an MSD box and it kicked back something is wrong. If you have a crank trigger, the rotor phase needs to be done just to make sure it runs right, if the box retarded the timing and it kicked back due to improper rotor phase, then you must be very close to being off just to run the engine. One thing on rotor phasing the shorter the gap has to jump in the distributor, the more voltage is left for the spark plugs to fire, if the phase is off you may be losing voltage at the plugs.
I use the MSD digital 6 box, it retards the timing 20 degrees for starting, hot or cold it always starts, no kick back, unless the battery is low, I don't run an alternator on my car.