Sorry if the answer is out there but ive searched but cannot find??

have installed a crow cam (spec list as mild) 2222549 (crow list as medium)

i also have adjustable cam gear but its set to zero should i retard or advance??

i ask because i feel as tho my car should be doing a little bit better

well your supposed to dial it in at the specified lift at TDC for the cam

explain for those who dont know much about cams

ok, with the cam comes a spec sheet stating how much valve lift there is when piston number 1 is at top dead centre, which is when the mark on the harmonic balancer lines up with the timing cover mark

The "lift" can be measured at the number 1 intake valve. You need a dial gauge

For instance with my 977b cam, when piston 1 was at its highest travel in the block, which is basically TDC.... i measured the number 1 intake valve how much it travelled down. With a vernier gear i could adjust the cam gear so when the balancer mark lines up with the timing cover notch, the valve had moved down 0.050" which is what wade cams specify for that cam.

But a thing to be wary of is old balancers can deteriorate causing the mark on it to move giving faulty readings, so then TDC must be manually checked through the spark plug hole

In other words, your cam must be adjusted in the correct position to work its best, istead of moving it randomly