I would have told you to get the dial back version that you can adjust to the desired number and just adjust the distributor to where timing mark is at 0. Easier to see n no guessing or timing tape needed.
Try and address one problem at a time. The guys mentioned you're kickdown cable AKA throttle valve pressure to your transmission may not be adjusted properly and that's true ...it will not act right because it has a speed sensor at the tail of the transmission telling it how fast it's going but the throttle valve pressure is nowhere appropriate for that speed and things get crummy from there till it eats itself. So fix that and I'd probably just buy a stock replacement one or get one off of a Dodge truck or something similar