"set it at 10 to 15 degrees BTDC and forget about it" OK this sounds about like what I was going to do for a while anyway. I really should be working on my house and not my car but I'm so tired of not driving my car. With the price of gas though it makes sense to get it tuned up to optimum and keep fiddling. I just need to get a decent baseline mpg to start though. I'm getting like 12mpg which I just can't afford. I know there are other things to check on as well but wanted to adjust idles, timing and valves first.

so if the timing changes with rpm what idle speeds should I be shooting for if timing isn't by the book anyway? I think the book calls for 500 or 550 curb idle and 700 fast idle. does that seem right? i seem to recall people saying the fast idle isn't as important as long as it starts well in cold weather.