28* initial timing for a 318? How can that be?

Mattax said
Like the example Shrinker gave of making the air fuel ratio richer and getting a cleaner burn.

Bruce "Shrinker" Robertson" Regarding initial timing:
"If you enrich the mixture at idle it will require less timing and the volume of gas expelled from the chamber will be greater (because there is more fuel in the cylinder ). The greater volume exhausting resists reversion backwards up the exhaust port therefor it actually runs with a cleaner chamber. Funny stuff isn't it"

"BUT what you have to do is enrich it correctly with the right processes in the carburetor, sometimes it's not just a matter of winding out the idle screw or changing the IFR. Every engine has a design to it and Chrysler's are a bit different to the other US products, they are not chevs or fords, they are better. They have better combustion and its not necessary to follow the rules of the hotrod industry, as the industry is very Chev orientated. Now what i just said should get plenty of people jumping up and down (hopefully in fun)."
from Motorsports Village • View topic - Initial timing [link broken, sorry]

Shrinker describing his approach:
"Tuning is the process of visualizing the progression of combustion and its conversion to mechanical energy."

^^^This^^^ is not easy, but worth striving for.