Timing tech.

Lemmeseeif Igotthisright. You have a point-type dist.(really old Tech) in a 71 which originally came with a complete electronic set-up( almost modern Tech), firing an MSD( totally overkill) on that quarter million mile, poor old worn out 318. Then you put a 4bbl and headers on it.Whats wrong with this picture? And 2.5s......Unless you bought it this way. In any case,money was/is being, spent on things in the wrong order,IMHO.
If you want to know how to achieve "rough numbers", youre gonna have to talk timing lights. Weather you want to or not.Unless of course you put the original type ignition back on it.
But since you already have the MSD, and its an excellent piece,A) I think I would just find a better way to trigger it.Then B)properly index the harmonic balancer to true TDC and C)install a timing tape.Then D)reread post #7. The "rough numbers" are there.And E) all, base(idle)/all-in(power) timing readings must be done with the vacuum advance can disconnected. And finally F)With the timing tape the dial-back lite is no longer a must-have.
In the old days,dwell, with single points,was set to 28-32 degrees,at whatever gap it takes.
Timing is never set in gear.Property and or death may/would be the result.
There is something wrong with your dizzy.If full advance is only 10* more than idle advance, its about 15 to 20 degrees short.Factory 318s IIRC were set at TDC and topped out at about 34*.So the factory had 30* to 35*(crank degrees) in the dist.And they ran pretty good there. Part of the reason for that was the V-can coming in early and hard giving good drive-ability.Now we all pretty much agree that the LA motors could use more idle/low speed timing. So if 12* idle is a good target(post #7), then 34-12=22* in the dist would be the target. But you have only 10*.Find the reason,and fix it. Some Mopar Performance dists. were/are adjustable. Then reset the "all-in" power timing to 34*.Oh, and reconnect the V-can.
Bahda-boom. Supper-time!