440 power gains/ aluminum head advantages?

If you have the distributor locked, I'm out. I don't have any experience with that, nor do I recommend it, so my advice would be pointless.
what would you recommend with a cam in my range for timing curve? i played with it a lot and at idle it wants as much advance as i can give it and anything over 40 degrees at 3k and it pings like crazy. ive have a feeling it's something with the degree of my cam but haven't ever pulled the front of the engine apart to check it out. starting from 36 degrees idle as i pull it further back the idle gets lower and rougher and once im around 20 it is really crappy from a stop to get going.