[MrForbes]

I don't know...but generally, in the world of more modern hot rods, we have a substantial amount of advance initially. 10 to 20 degrees BTDC is common. Some guys even lock out the advance mechanism, and run around 30 to 34 degrees all the time, but this is mostly on race cars. Of course, with modern electronics, you can have the ignition amplifier do all the advancing, and pretty much all new cars made since the mid 1980s have had computer control of ignition timing.

Usually you don't get kick back issues with less than 20 degrees initial advance.

Do you have any numbers for the advance lever on your truck? ie what is the timing with it set to full retard, and to full advance?

and it seems that you would want to increase the advance when cold, and not when warm....I know a cold engine will tolerate more advance without pinging than a hot engine, all else being equal