Rotor phasing

Hey all, got a little dilemma. Working an a friend's motor. 604 ci bbf. Total locked timing 34 degrees. Pulling 15 on start up. Still wants to kick back quite a bit. Would getting an adjustable rotor help this situation and setting the phasing? Thanks cory

What's the compression? My 557 at 14.2:1 was doing this. No matter what I did, it would crash the starter very violently, it was tearing up the teeth on the starter and the ring gear.
I finally had to "unlock" the distributor and put a weight/spring/bushing kit in it give it a curve so it has a chance to actually crank while trying to start!

Establish cranking before ignition should solve this problem.

I did this on a MSD setup many years ago, works:

MSD Ignition Starter Saver Ignition Retard Box with Signal Stabilizer
Part Number: 8984

Getting the "rotor phasing" correct is a big deal with a performance engine ... especially one with higher cylinder pressure.

Do you have a cap with a hole in it? You could be arching across two posts. I have found that sometimes less is better.

The comp is right at 15, don't have a cap with a hole at #1. Was going to order a couple extras and drill one to check phasing. Do have a adjustable rotor on the shelf. Going to try phasing it when the caps arrive. Thanks to all of you for the info. Cory