i have a 1973 2.8L F-54 with a 4th gen E-88 head and electronic distributor from an 80ZX (brand new). this is all rebuilt brand new and i am wondering where my timing should be. i put the light on the balancer and the mark is showing at 17-18 in advance. i have dual SU carbs and they are synced perfect. not lean or rich. car runs great but i wonder about the timing because before the rebuild (orig 2.4L) the timing sweet spot was at about 10 advanced.

 

There's no "set in stone" rule for timing. Each engine, especially a custom built / modified one will need to be adjusted to the driver's liking. As long as it's not pinging (detonating), it should be fine. Running 15-20* BTDC is fine for a "street-modified" L28. Though you will probably need to retard it down to 5-10* for emissions.