Vacuum/Mechanical Advance Dilemma SB340

I’m not sure what I’m looking at with that pic of the lower timing gear.......but unless the dots on both gears weren’t aligned, it should have been fine like that.
The lower gear is on the “0” keyway, and the 0 tooth is basically up.

But...... nonetheless, if the timing cover was off...... shoulda put the degree wheel on it.
Makes two of us. But they said it was one tooth off....how many teeth are on these gears? They equated it to 10 degrees which implies 36 teeth. If is was running well at 52 degrees it now runs well albeit slight detonation with the 271 poor gears minus 10 degrees puts it at 42 degrees or there abouts which is on the high side of total...it made some sense to me but they did not degree it when I asked afterwards. My thoughts were the same as you guys. No reference point right?