Following my earlier post about troube starting my Series V.
When I set the timing with a strobe light I can get a much faster tickover if I rotate the distributor so that the "white paint" on 8 degrees B.T.D.C. is about 2 inches below the timing mark (Retarded?) Should I use this setting or the "correct" 8 degrees B.T.D.C.?
I'm using 95 octane unleaded petrol with Castrol Valvemaster Plus.

Thanks in advance.

If I interpret your words correctly, 2" below the timing mark is actually advanced - and yes, it is likely that the engine will run faster like this. You should be timing the engine with the vacuum advance pipe disconnected. When reconnected, the vacuum will advance the timing anyway.
And NO, don't deviate from the correct timing.
I have stopped using Castrol Valvemaster. One year after starting to use it, I found that most of the black paint had flaked off the insides of the petrol tanks (see Horn earlier this year). I can't prove anything but.....

I forgot to disconnect the vacuum advance pipe!
After years of "modern" cars I forgotten half of the little I knew about "old" cars.
I've set the timing to the faster tickover, I'll adjust it to the proper setting.

You've got me worried about the Valvemaster, has anyone else had problems?

Thanks for your help.

I used Valvemaster for about 6 months with no problems; fuel filter looks clean enough.

My fuel filter (in the pump) looked clean enough - just one or two tiny flakes. But on three occasions, the car lost power and it was the main jets which must have been blocked, because ONLY cleaning these (both of them) fixed the problem. I never saw any muck anywhere but I am convinced there must have been some.
There is also absolutely no doubt that all the paint flaked off the tanks. If I had been able to collect it up, it would have filled a pint mug.
I suggest that some of the flakes broke down into a very fine powder which got through the pump filter and the material somehow blocked the jets. I can't be certain it was the Castrol stuff, but the paint stayed on for 39 years and trouble started about a year after I first put Valvemaster in the tanks.