ZUL8R

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.

NismoPick

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.