Simple test, start the car, get it warmed up, grab distributor and give a light twist CCW. If the engine picked up rpm, it wants the additional idle/initial timing. Reset the idle speed.
The range Rick mentioned is where I would search to set initial on this engine. It's a safe range and won't tax the starter/battery. If you used the total timing method, that's sometimes a big issue because it totally disregards where your initial timing setting.
Don't throw money at something that quite frankly... money can't fix! IMO, it's likely a tune up issue which can be fixed cheap.