total timing reading accurate with no load?

Yes this is all with the vacuum advance plugged.

Well taking the distributor back out is easy I'm not worried about that, but I don't know if this brand of distributor has the same internal mechanisms as a Mopar distributor, not sure if that plate would work. It's a World Power Systems DST3890. Ill pull it off and check it out.

Am I correct though that the timing should any more move once the mechanical advance is reached? Or will it continue to rise a little with engine room?