I ran an 11" clutch before & worked fine,they are (0)/neutral balanced.
As far as the damper goes,,yes you will see & feel the improvement.
I ran for many years stock dampers(because I did not know better)
until I switched to a SBC 8" damper,,,,,WHAT A DIFFERENCE!
My engine would run smoother everywhere. From idle to high RPM.
I would highly recommend it.
Is it absolutlety necessary in your application,,,,no,,,but like I stated earlier,your engine will run smoother & not make the flywheel or flexplate or torque converter bolts to loosen up as they do much more so w/a stock damper.
For your distributer timing,,,,run as much initial timing as the engine can stand(w/out detonation), example 15-20 degress initial & 20-15 mechanical,,,(thats just an example3)& then the rest can be mechanical advance along w/your vacuum canister advance.
With your zero deck & having a better squish band,,your engine should be able to handle more agressive timing.
Hope this helps.
MBHD
