And once you find the small detail differences on the 170, the tuning basics area mostly the same.
Just a matter of which way to turn the distributor to advance, which firing order, what spark plugs to get, whether the plugs, plug wires, cap, rotor, points, condenser (if equipped) and basic vehicle wiring are good, etc.
But a sure-fire way to play around is simply to loosen the distributor hold-down thingy and spin the distributor slightly while the engine is running.
If you turn it 1/4" (not a 1/4 turn!) one way and the engine idle speed slows down, you are retarding the timing. If you turn it and the idle speeds up, you're advancing it.
You can tweak it this way slightly by ear, then drive it to see if it "pings" under heavy acceleration.
You can also do some basic cleanup and testing by removing the distributor cap and manipulating the mechanisms to see if they're clunky or smooth, or loose or tight, or just don't work like they should.
I bet FordSix forum does have all the details. A lot of Broncos have the 170, but you're right that it doesn't seem to come up here very often.
Good luck.
Paul
