Where do you come up with this stuff? Have you ever built or dyno tuned a race engine? or are you just repeating stuff you heard? Higher RPMs needs more advance. The term total timing is the maximum timing the engine can handle. Pre-electronic controlled ignition system had a vacuum system and weights to advance the timing as the RPMs are raised. In the circle track cars I built we had no advance, we just set the timing to 36 degs. This makes the car hard to start and run like crap under 4000 RPM. In a race our engine was running 5900-6100 RPMs coming out of the turn and 6700 RPM at the end of a straight away. Everything on the engine was built for those RPMs. If I set the timing to 35 degs I lost power if I set it to 37 degs I would gain some power at 6700 RPM but it lower the torque curve at 6000 RPM enough it was not worth it.

The reason we got rid of the mechanical advance system is because it was not accurate enough, now with electronic controls you can have 36 degs or timing at 6000 RPM and 36.5 Degs at 6500 RPMs.

As a general rule more timing and leaner fuel mixture makes more power. Both of these things will also kill your engine if pushed too far.

 

Why do people like Gorn think everyone is building a 9second engine?
And he thinks that everyone has a engine dyno in everyones garage.

 

wait a minute, do you mean to tell us that you don't have one?

OK, enough fun. I cannot speak for Gorn but if we were standing, BS'ing with you and having a cup of coffee and you came out with the "rule of thumb" of 1 degree retard for each lb of boost I would dribble a bit coffee, have a laugh and ask where you "heard that"

what is the combustion chamber design?
what is the ambient temperature?
is there any additional cooling introduced (water, methanol)?
at what altitude
what octane gasoline
what cam

and other things to take into consideration.

It really is not as easy as a "rule of thumb"

But, being curious is a good thing so please continue to ask questions. Now I have to go wipe the coffee that I dribbled on myself.

 

I owned a 18 turbo TA, known as the grenade. I never had a problem for 24k miles, then sold it. I installed a 160deg thermostat, removed the water heat under the 800 cmf carb, used 92 octane + 1 or 2 cans octane boost and retarded the timing and made a adjustable wast gate rod so I could move the turbo boot up or down, Up for high octane and down for low octane.
I Also own a 1989 25 AN. Turbo TA. I removed the cat and used 100LL octane (aviation fuel) some times. Also made it so I could retarded the timing at the throttle position sensor. So I could bump up the boost a small amount. Also an lic. A & P mechanic for 22 years. I also spent a cupple of years working on Pratt & Whitney R-2800 cubic inch Double Wasp 2500hp radials back in Alaska.
As long as you keep it within the computers + or - window. The computer or the PCM in my Z28, the PCM will made all the adjustments using the ATS. APS, TPS, WTS, MAP, MAF sensors readings. Without throwing a code.