Advance the timing before TDC. Why?

One awful dictatorial policy "back when I" was stationed at NAS Miramar, in San Diego, CA ARB mandated that OLD vehicles be retrofitted with engine emission controls. None of these cars did well

The most basic of these "kits" were a cap to plug off the vacuum advance forever, and caps and green silicone to "lock" the carb idle screws. Installing the "kit" went something like this:

1....Remove the vacuum advance hose and put a special kit supplied cap on each fitting
2....Retime (retard) the engine timing to TDC and see if you can get it to run. Ignore the boiling sounds and the antifreeze gushing from the overflow
3....Adjust the idle screws for a reading of ***.X on the air fuel analyzer AKA unbelievably lean.
4....Shut the hood

After about a month the owner would call the tow truck because the engine had run so hot, for so long, that now it just won't.........run.