White spark plugs aren't necessarily an indication of "too lean" like we learned decades ago. The "tan to chocolate brown" color that indicated proper mixture back then was caused by lead deposits on the plugs. No lead- - - - -little to no color change until the mixture gets so rich the plugs go black and sooty. A white plug with a glassy appearance or blisters on the porcelain tip indicates a dangerously lean condition- - - -on the verge of burning valves lean. Increasing the point gap also advances the timing because the points open sooner, and that's when the coil fires. For every degree of distributor rotation sooner that the points open, the crankshaft timing advances two degrees. Increasing the point opening by .001" probably advances the timing 5 degrees or so. Better recheck the timing, if you're using a light. If you're doing the "best vacuum at idle" thing, or listening for detonation on a long uphill pull, it's a waste of time to do anything other than make a ballpark guess to get the engine to run well enough to tinker with it. It's sort of the "Measure it with a micrometer- - - -mark it with chalk- - - -cut it with an axe" method!
Jerry
