Trying to make room to turn distributor to advance cam timing to get at zero

I did the cam crank relearn successfully but I'm at 22
degrees retarded four cam timing the initial regular timing
is at 19 or 20 I don't have enough room because it's a big
block to move it back Advanced said enough to get at zero
and the last time I tried to move it a tooth everything got all
pissed off and it didn't even want to run so I'm very close
now to the finish line and maybe now that it relearn it will
allow me to move it a tooth without trouble what do you
think