Surgeing after timing adjustment?

I think , if you picked up a 1/2 second(!) by moving the timing, and it was supposedly set at 36*, you're balancer may not be marked right, the ring may have slipped, maybe the light was hooked up to the wrong wire (since you're buddy was in a hurry), or something similiar. You'll only pick up huge amounts of e.t. if something is wayyy off.