Surging under electrical load...

[frotosride]

Unfortunately (from my view), still a somewhat stock 350, 700r-4, with the exceptions of full length headers, specture filter and free flowing exhaust, aluminum 31x19 speedway radiator, 180 thermo,  dual 10" elec fans. I do have a small sound system but the problem has been here well before I installed the 400watt amp. I have been studying this situation for a while to determine when it happens and what I've noticed is that when ever there is an electrical load the rpm's surge. Unfortunately I do not currently have a tach( i just talked the wife into letting me change the gages because the looks are centimental to her) so I'm not sure what rpm it drops to. However it is noticable by listening to it apparently, not to an untrained ear though because my wife thinks it runs fine. The problem only occurs while ideling and gear selection doesn't change the issue be it in park drive or reverse. The only thing that has an effect on it is heat.In the summer, as many have experienced a stalling issue, it will stall mostely when in reverse and occasionally when accelerating from a stop and getting off the gas and back on the break quickly. In the winter time it hardly stalls at all maybe once or twice since it's been cold here on the east coast. It will even do this with the 4ga wire to the capacitor removed so the amp isn't on.
 
Any experience out there that may help me with this issue? Oh, as far as charging system I still have the factory 3-wre alternator and a battery thats maybe 5 months old. I have a capacitor with digital display and during idle the volts will drop to mid to high 13v, and when driving or any rpm increase it will be a constant 14+ volts but never up to 15v.Even if I turn the system up to teenage levels and both fans on, the volt meter on the cap as well as the factory meter stay in the high 12v. Granted the cap is getting signial straight from the battery which is also where the alternator charging wire connects straight to which leads me to this...
Going to get a voltmeter today to continue my trouble shootig.
One thought I do have is moving the volt sensing wire to a location that sees the majority of load. maybe I will have to check for voltage drops to see where the best place to relocate the wire would be. One wire alt's are nice for say full trail riding, hot rodding or drags but not the best for dependability as well as the electrically impaired.
I hope this is enough info to get someone started thinking but I will try anything.

[frotosride]

So I did a little more investigating by turning on electrical loads and with headlights on(aftermarket), e-fans, amp, and blower motor on high I still stay above 13.08 volts and from watching the digital display I can tel the the voltage sensing line is working at least at the batery because it is obviouse when it kicks in.

Now today was a little diffrent. Once i bliped the loud pedal it all setteled out for a few minuets and seemed to do fine while parked and ideling until I moved like 10' and put it back in park...then there it goes again. When I turn everything off the idel levels out and all you can hear is the teny tiny factory cam.

Is it possible that the surging is due to the stress the alternator is putting on the motor and this stupid TBI just needing a few replacement parts?

[frotosride]

Well I haven't fixed the problem but I made it a lot beter. I took the TBI off and cleaned it up as well as the IAC. They were both filthy. BUt now I'm not sure it probably electrical and some wiering changes may help and or higher amp alternator. This is before. I didn't get a pic of the IAC but I should have.

[frotosride]

This is after. Plus the oe gasket that just broke to pieces. I'm sure thats exactly what it looked like before I unbolted the throttle body.

[frotosride]

Oh and by the way if you forget to hook up this little hose(green arrow) MAP sensor....she dont like it all. It took me a second to realize why in the world it was running so rough...then i saw the hose sticking in the air and badabing!! Throttle response is a lot better. I actually thought is was good to begin with but now I realize it was flawed.

[frotosride]

. So its been a while but I have always been searching for an answer to all the issues I post. Today while replacing a few vaccum lines I got curiouser an took this off the alternator. If it fixes anything at all...great but there's no doubt it needs fixing. I didnt have anew connector but wire, terminals and heat shrink I do.while I was in there I routed my voltage sensing wire to the positive lug terminal that all my major loads come off of. Hope this helps.

[frotosride]

Ok so I learned a hard lesson and I blame it on FireBall.. either way the voltage sensing wire needs a diode and or resistor to function properly and not drain the battery and kill the internal regulator. But I have realized that the old alternator was going to go out either way I just helped it along a little. The truck runs so much better since the swap. I haven't had any more surging since the swap and it wasnt very expensive to get a 94 amp alternator. But the body had to be rotated to fit the orientation of my serpentine/v-belt setup that chevy thought was best in '87. Going to up date after my 700mile trip to main and hopefully there are not any more stalling under load conditions.

[bd]

Froto,
The #2 regulator lead is the sensing wire - requires no diode or resistor - and connects directly to B+.  The #1 lead is the exciter wire - it does require a resistor, idiot light or diode (the factory gauge option substitutes a resistor wire for the idiot light) - and connects to a switched ignition source.  If the battery is discharging through the alternator and the #1 regulator terminal is connected to switched ignition through a resistance/diode, the alternator or regulator is faulty.

Edit - grammer

[frotosride]

Thanks bd.. i have to work on my reading skills. I reconnected #1 to the factory wiring and I have the #2 connected to the the normal terminal on the alternator. But the lead off the alternator doesn't go straight to the battery any more I have a positive post under the hood with all my major loads on the post. Thanks for clearing which is which for me. I accidentally accomplished this a long time ago and the confused myself. Guess I learned something today.