New Engine, Hard starting, Likes Lots of Advance

Does it run smooth at idle, at any degree? forget the timing tab and marks, you baselined those when you taped it with your TDC tool, good. Id put it on tape TDC and see where rotor is pointing. Cam dots up or down doesnt matter on cam timing, crank could care less where it is, but you have to get distributor timing down. Id plug all vacuum and check distributor with cap off, IIRC @#1 TDC, dizzy slot points to #1 intake bolt if oil pump drive is installed to factory spec (just so you dont have vacuum pot pointing to firewall)