1975 So Cal "installed Smog Thing"

Forgive me for not understanding. ... wouldn't retarded timing lead to higher emission levels?
I'm not sure about that. For a brief time we had emission testing in S. Fla. The only way I could get my 77 Dodge PU through, with its modified 440, was to retard the heck out of the timing. It ran like crap and got hot fast but it passed the sniffer test.