My advice on the 660 (for whatever it is worth), timing advance and muff mod … good, don't forget to remove the limiters from the carb at the same time.
I have found that many unported 660s run stronger if you leave the baffle in, just drill a 1/2 hole in the back. Then, just drill two 1/4 or 3/8" holes on the high right side of the muffler cover, as close to the seam as you can get. On many of them, removing the baffle completely kills the torque. I've even put baffles back in on some ported ones I've got. If I'm running a big saw, I want to be able to lean on it.