Can too much timing cause this noise?

It doesn't sound like a timing issue to me. He could pop the belt or belts off and run it and see if it still makes the noise. that rules out a bunch of stuff. Then he can try and check the flywheel/flexplate and see if anything is weird there maybe a bolt loose or something. Then its down to the engine, he could have clearanced the pan with a hammer turned it over by hand and thought it was good. But once the rotating assemble starts moving at higher rpm maybe it rubs the pan slightly.

Just throwing stuff out there. hope he gets it worked out.