I bet your guy said time it at 36* at 2500 or so when you picked it up.
Um, no. You got that backwards. I told him I wanted 36* total. I don't have to set anything at any rpm other than my initial timing.
My guess your dist guy took a stab at what he thought the initial should be and set the curve to follow. He may not have asked you directly, but, he figured out a safe initial point based on the engine/components.
He may have asked me about my initial mark, but I don't recall that in the conversation we were having.
You don't have 36* in the distributor if I'm reading what you wrote correctly.
Sorry if I'm not explaining myself in engineering terms that will satisfy your quest to prove me wrong. I do appreciate you telling me what I have in my distributor, and what the guy who worked on it did to it. Maybe next time someone asks for another member's opinion, or for help, I'll just leave that to the guys who know more than I do. I do apologize to Shane for trying to help him, when obviously, I'm not qualified to open the hood of my own car without help from total strangers.