Hello,
My 440 has reworked heads, slightly over stock cam and Eddy 750 performer. Stock dizzy w/ pertronix. I am adding the Mr. Gasket lightweight distributor springs and will set timing to 36-38° at 2300rpm and 54° w/ vacuum advance hooked up. Then to idle mix, where I am to set for max vacuum, correct? Good starting point 2.5 turns out..?? Can I hook the vacuum gauge to the hose going to teh brake booster. Also, am I on teh right track w/ everything else??
Thansk, Pete

I usually hook my vacuum gauge to the check valve on the power brake booster. My car has an Edelbrock front carb and has a ported vacuum and a manifold vacuum port near the base of the carb. If your car doesn't have either of these, you'll probably have to drill a whole in the intake manifold somewhere and put a tap in it...job for someone adept at plumbing I whould think......

hook the vac gauge to brake booster T or anywhere there's full manifold vacuum at idle. the choke pulloff nipple works & is the right size.3 or 4 turns to start & go back & forth on each idle mix screw & get highest vac then reset idle speed if necc & repeat & then when you have it as good as you get it turn the idle mix screws in(slightly) to lean them just a bit. Bottom line with timing mods is you want as much timing as you can without it pinging & any pinging that you can HEAR is way to much. Those springs bring it in fast & no mention of your CR, fuel & if good(.035"-.040") quench or not.

Thanks for the tips. I am not sure what CR and quench are. The 440 is .030 over w/ a Crane cam slightly over stock. Heads were redon but no specs. Bought car used and prev. owner not sure. It has a lopey idle but is not built as he showed me a previous dyno sheet w. about 270 RWHP, so it is fairly near stock. Are you saying that I should leave the stock springs in?? The only way to know I guess is to get it on a distributor machine and a dyno. What I thought was a timing issue I am now thinking is an Eddy 750 performer issue, stumbling between idle and 1500 rpm... Pulls hard otherwise and runs well. After tuning if it doesn't go away I will either rebuild carb or swap w/ a Holley.
Pete