Stupid Distributor Questions

Well, for what it's worth, I rotated the distributor intermediate shaft 1 tooth counterclockwise, and dropped the distributor back in the car. No more pop through the intake, idle is smooth as well. I set the initial timing at 16º BTDC, and took it for a ride. It still pings when you put your foot down, and there is a slight hesitation from a dead stop, but other than that it runs very well now. I think if I fill up with high octane fuel the ping will improve. If it doesn't I'll mess with the advance springs to make it come in a little later. Maybe I can eliminate the hesitation with the idle mixture screws or the accelerator pump?
I couldn't check the total timing because I couldn't operate the dial on the timing light while holding the light on the damper AND holding the throttle open. Maybe on Friday I'll have my wife help out.

What do you guys think??

George