Base timing at 8-10* do I retard? How?

[wmrcs]

So I was at a friends house today and I saw he had a timing light so I asked to use it to check my timing because I read in the Stage 0 Upgrades that you want your base timing to be 5*. At idle the timing light showed around 8-10*. He didn't know how to change timing on the 4g63 since he only has owned Escorts.

I've done some research but can't find exactly what I need to do at this point. I don't even know the difference between mechanical timing and ignition timing? Can someone just help me clear this up some. Should I retard timing down to 5*? How do I do that?

 

[Lou98GSX]

your timing is not adjustable and the reason its on the high side is because you are supposed to ground a wire that is located at the firewall before you check it .

 

[wmrcs]

your timing is not adjustable and the reason its on the high side is because you are supposed to ground a wire that is located at the firewall before you check it .

I thought the timing was adjustable? And we grounded it to the battery terminal, wouldn't that be fine?