Ford specs for the 1956 Y block called for 3 degrees BTDC of initial timing if the car had a manual trans, or 6 degrees if it was equipped with a Fordomatic. This was the case across the board, no matter if it was a 272, 292, or 312. OK.

However, I read in an archived article of Ford Muscle Magazine that dyno testing has shown that most small block Fords with compression ratios of between 9.5:1 and 10.5:1 achieve peak horsepower at 35-38 degrees of timing total (initial plus advance). And that SBF engines with compression between 9.0:1 and 9.5:1 make peak HP at 38-42 degrees total. 

Compression ratios for the Ys, at least up until 1957 to my knowledge, were 9.0 or below. For example in '56 it was 8.4 for an automatic and 8.0 if you had a manual, I guess because they either changed the heads or the gaskets (?). So, to continue their line of reasoning, small block engines falling within this range of compression would probably dyno best at, say, 44 total degrees. Which, to break it down a little further, could be 14 inital plus 30 along your advance curve, whether centrifugal or vacuum or both.

Obviously all this varies from setup to setup, but in general, isn't it fair to say that most common performance upgrades (cam, heads, exhaust, etc.) would lead the tuner toward more timing rather than less. So I guess the question is, why is it that when you tell somebody you're running your Y-block with 14 or so degrees initial timing, they look at you as if you're doing something wacko...?