Timing by ear seems backwards for me

[Plywood]

I recently did a swelled GP head R&R job.

I put the IP on with the lines lined up, and really it runs pretty good, but when I hook up a jumper to the advance, it seems like it knocks less rather than more, as I've read here it should in several places.
Sort of sounds like an 8 cyl cummins 24V if you know what I mean, then with the jumper it seems like the rpms go up a little, and the knock is slightly less, then when I disconnect the jumper it goes back to the deeper knock sound.
I got 14.5 mpg on the last trip, which I think is pretty good for a 4.11 geared C6 4x4.
Little bit of white smoke and plenty of rattle on cold warmup idle.
Lots of power though!
Any thoughts?

[Snotzalot]

That would indicate it's retarded, no? Do you know if that's an original ip? Did you mark it when you took it off?

[Plywood]

I kind of thought retarded also, but I've read here it should knock more when advanced with a jumper to the cold advance, not less, but maybe I am confusing knock and rattle though.
The IP has a Stanadyne reman tag on it, I know that it was slightly more advanced when I took it off, but I bought it recently and I don't know if it was professionally timed or what, so I didn't rely on that too much.

[91diesel]

Think about it, if you have it retarded, and you advance it slightly to where its not knocking, then everything is normal. You just need need to advance the pump itself a bit. Sounds like you have it retarded. When you jumper the timing advance, it advances it to where the timing is supposed to be, with no knocking(so advance the pump). When I had my IDI, I Experienced some knocking on retarded timing as well as advanced, moreso advanced.

[Plywood]

OK, so I'm retarded then,
seriously though, if that's the way it is, then that makes sense.
I've always read here that they knock when advanced, and sound flat like a gasser when retarded.
Maybe it's more like knock when retarded, and rattle when advanced?