engine busting up

Chad, set the timing to 32 total at 2500 rpms and don't worry about initial right now. If the dist is working properly and no one has messed with the advance curve my guess is you will be around 10 degrees initial give or take. If the new ignition doesn't help with the pinging after setting the timing then we have another issue.

Pull his carb and drop in a new 5.5 or 6.5 PV--the rear should be blocked off. Then check the jets. Start at 72 front and 78 rear. Flip the carb upside down and make sure the butterfly's are not past the transfer slots at idle. If so you will be using the idle and main circuits at the same time and it will confuse the carb and your air idle screws won't work. There is a small set screw for the rears that you can only see when the carb is upside down. Once you have that done then turn all the air idle screws completely in and then back all of them equally out 3 ( half ) turns equalling 1 and a half. If it is a double pump then my guess is the squirters will be around 31 or 33 which is fine. Make sure all vacuum fittings are plugged unless you are using them. This setting should be a good starting point to tune from. Put the carb back on and warm up the engine to operating temp to set the carb. Hook up a vacuum gauge and if it is a auto you need to adjust the air idle screws while the car is in gear so have help and be careful. Start by turning the air idle screws in or out until you get the highest vacuum reading. Whatever you do on one side you need to repeat on the other. You will need to adjust the idle screw from time to time. If your air idle screws have no effect then you aren't idling on the idle circuits meaning your carb has an internal issue or your front butterfly is to far past the the transfer slot. Then check for vacuum leaks etc. That cam isn't big enough to need more than 10 to 12 degrees initial timing so you shouldn't need more timing to help the idle. Good luck and I'll check back in to see how you came out.