Yes Jeff it SHOULD still be at 34* at wot, BUT, it ain't necassarily so. As these guys said, before the argument, the clearances at idle can fool you into thinking you're setting the timing one place, but actually you're locking it down in another. That's why your timing appears to retard a little, as you speed the engine rpm up, all the clearences settle down, and you see where you've actually locked it down. Setting the timing at 3000 rpm is a good idea, cause it settles the clearences, and lets you see where you're actually setting timing at. Hope this helps.