Sorry to bother you all with questions I should know but I don't know so here goes. What is the advantage of having my timing advanced to way above the suggested book timing? What is the effect on doing this?

http://members.aol.com/dvandrews/timing.htm

That link should give you more than enough info.

excellent article graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Pretty cool but my base is 22 or 23 and no pinging so I didn't agree with the 20 base rule. besides that it tells all you need to know.

More is not always better...

I only run 32-34 degrees TOTAL timing on our Pure Stock L-72...the better your flame travel, the less timing you need. Ideally, less is better...in fact, if I'm not mistaken, the total timing for the LS-1 in my SS is somewhere in the mid to high 20s?

engine load has a lot to do with what initial timing works best, put the same 350 in a vega then in a motorhome and you'll see some extreme opposites in what timing curve works best from idle to wide open.

Well that is true. I haven't been to the track or dyno yet so I don't know if where i have it at is the best. By ear and petal it seems to be pretty good at the moment.