Total Timing?
Total timing is the SECOND piece of the puzzle.
Basic explanation: total timing = Initial + mechanical in dist.
You need to have the initial timing set first before moving to total timing.
The bad thing about setting total is this. If the distributor has 28* of mechanical advance and you set total at say 34*, you don't have enough initial advance (6*). The engine would not run well at idle with so little initial advance.
My guess, you'll need 14-20 of initial timing and about 16-20 in the distributor.