I set my initial timing at between 12 and 16* BTC. Every Ford I've had did it's best in this range. I don't worry about total timing. You've got two advance mechaisms here, vacuuum and mechanical (inside the distributor). 44* on a Ford is WAY past enough timing. It may be fine for a Chevy where the distributor is at the rear of the cam, but not for a Ford.
