WHACKY 78 NYB ELECTRICAL

[Bruce Stubblefield <audiblefeast@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello everyone,
   Get a load of these two strange electrical symptoms
in my 78 NYB.
   With the igition on, motor running or not, there is
an intermittant clicking/buzzing coming from inside
the dash, right behind the steering wheel.  Every time
it makes the sound, the ammeter moves slightly to the
"C" side from its normal middle position.  When I turn
on the headlights, the noise stops.  What it seems NOT
to be:  the radio, the turn signal flashers, the
emergency flashers, the warning buzzer.  I'd like to
find it soon, since I fear something is getting ready
to burn up, like the instrument cluster voltage
regulator, if this car has one.
  The second issue: The car has been running badly
since the new carb was put in. (Federal model 400 ci
w/lean burn).  It's been OK when cold, then
intermittantly loses either fuel or spark at speed,
sometimes at start of hard accel, sometimes at start
of soft accel from coasting.  A little relay happened
to come loose under the dash, cutting power to the
power windows and seats.  AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, with this
relay disconnected, the rough running is cut by about
98%.  
    The relay is a about 1 1/2" by 1/2" inch and has
two sets of male paddle connectors;  one single
connector at one end and a triangle-configuration of
three more paddles on the other end.
     Can anyone imagine why disconnecting this should
result in smooth running?
      
Thanks!

PS  I'm scanning a '69 FSM into photoshop.  Any advide
about setting up these files for inclusion in the tech section?

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