Cliff's Quadrajet Parts and Rebuild Kits

Here's the chart for the calibration options for the AFR gage I'm using. As i understand it, the default setting is the one that shows the AFR readings that we typically use.
 If you see something I missed please let me know. Thanks, Rick

Believe it or not I don't have a smart phone so no QR reader.

 That's no problem, if i had a computer I wouldn't have a smartphone either. It's nice in that i can play my music through it in my vehicles, but other than that I hate the damned thing. I'd rather have a flip phone.

I think it might give it a little more at higher throttle opening & less at lower. What kind of AFR gauge do you have? Do you have instructions for calibration?

 My gage is an AEM  30-4110 and the instructions are only available online through a QR code.
 I went through it looking for what I had to do before using it. There is a calibration chart for different fuels and whether you want it to read the AFR or the O2 outputs in voltages,  but I didn't see any other calibration options.
 Looking at it on a phone is difficult at best, (I don't have a computer to be able to enlarge it for easier viewing).
 Here's the QR code if you want to have a look. Maybe you can see something I couldn't.  I'd appreciate it if you gave it a try. It would be nice if it could be "adjusted" if need be.
 Hopefully you can get the code to work from my picture.

How does it run? Does it surge or buck at all. Do you have any exhaust leaks?

 No, no surging or bucking, but I kept thinking that it didn't quite have the power it had before, but I'm not sure exactly how to prove that definitely.
 I didn't want to push it too much before I knew for sure what the AFR was. And like Novadude mentioned, the gage might be wrong. The problem is that I don't have any other way of testing the exhaust, so I've got to trust (and pray) that it's right.

 And no, there's no exhaust leaks either, except for right at the very back end of the pipes, it's awfully loud at that point. But that's mainly due to the "mufflers" that I put on it. They're a pair of Cadillac Northstar resonators, straight through and no packing. Basically the equivalent of galvanized echo chambers, but the back pressure is non-existent. This is one reason why I'm afraid of setting the timing too far ahead, I wouldn't hear it if it pings, the other reason is I'm half deaf now.

 I've got to do more testing to make sure I'm not screwing it up by going too lean. And I want to tie the secondaries closed again and see how the primaries perform.

 I may have to go back down a jet size or two and drop the rod size, or the other way, only the testing will tell.
 On the way up to Tucson, well,  down in elevation,  up on the map, the AFR was so lean the gage blanked out, but the temperature gages were both showing normal, so I bit my tongue and drove on.
 I run a gage off of each head, I don't trust just one gage to catch a problem. That practice has saved me at least one engine, so I keep doing it.

 What would increasing the lower idle air bleeds slightly do for it? Would that give it a little more fuel at part throttle? Or do you have to increase the idle tubes to do this?

 Yeah, I thought about it before I left Tucson, I raised the APT another half turn, but little effect.
 Halfway home I changed the jets to a #73, this was a step in the right direction. The AFR dropped to 14.5 to 16.0 if I remember correctly. I need to use a voice recorder to make notes as it's happening. There's too much information to try to remember it all,  at least for my feeble mind anyway, lol!

 Thanks for your expertise and input. You have confirmed what I had been thinking, I appreciate it.
  Now I just need to fine tune it now that I know what to fine tune. At least I've been keeping good records on what I've done to it as far as the modifications. The recorder will help with getting the results correct.