TOY: '88 22re Timing

[Duckguy@xxxxxxx]

Had to pull the distributor a couple days ago and eye-balled it back in.  Did 
a bit of expedient "timing by ear" to get her to catch and start, and left it 
at that for the time being.  

Noticed the next day that she seemed to be running really great as it was so 
merely congratulated myself as being quite the "super wrench" yet again and 
didn't get around to actually checking the timing 'til last night.  To my 
surprise I was sitting right  around 12 to 14 degrees advance with the check 
plug terminals properly shorted.  So, I put it back to 5 degrees per specs 
and check that I had 10 to 14 degrees with terminals unshorted.

Well, she don't seem to be running as well as with the 12 to 14 degrees at 
idle advance I had "by ear" dialed in.

Surprisingly enough, I had NO noticeable knocking or pingin under any or all 
conditions with the extra advance.

Questions:
---Has any one else had this experience with the 22RE?
---If I go back and dial in the 12 degrees what risk am I running of engine 
damage?
---Since it ran so well with this much advance, does this possibly indicate I 
am getting some chain stretch I ought to look into? (no tapping sounds at 
present and only 46,000 on current chain which was replaced after a violent 
failure at 99,000.  Along with an additional $2,500 of ancillary damage).
---What advance (other than book specs) are others running without any 
apparent harm?

TIA and regards