Got my new 408 together and broke in. Went to set timing and it is showing me that it is at 30 initial and goes up as rpm's go up. I do not know what total or all in is because I can not get initial correct. I am checking with vacuum advance uhooked and if I try to turn down ititial it will just die or run horrible. I checked the tdc mark on balancer and it is correct with piston at tdc. I have only drove it around block and it seemed to run good and does not start hard or deisel when shut off. Any ideas as to why it would not run with timing turned down?

Richen the Idle screws up until you can get it down.

Hmmmm. How old / New is the distributor and in what condition is it? Has it been checked on a machine?

When you installed the cam in the engine, did you use a Degree-Wheel to verify the installation was correct?

Your Cam-timing could be advanced or retarded irrespective of your crankshaft damper timing mark.

New Camshafts can actually be off a bit, even though you lined up the timing marks on the cam / crank timing-chain gears correctly. The Only positive way to know for sure, is to use a degree wheel to check / verify.

Also, some engine builders intentionally install the cam "advanced" or "retarded" to slightly adjust the cam timing events.

Furthermore, do you "really" need the vacuum advance? I capped off the vacuum-advance on the distributors in my 71 Charger and '79 Jeep CJ-5 (AMC 304 V8) engines, 8-or-so years ago.

I re-curved the distributors a bit and rely on Total-Advance (around 32 to 38-degrees) checked at 3,000 to 3,500 RPM with a timing light. I don't even worry about what the "Initial" advance is, so long as it starts.

put the timing marks on TDC (#1 compression) and see where your rotor is at.