[retireduper]

Thanks guys for all the information relating to the electrical short. First, the current drain should have read 1.7 amps not 17, but the short was still there. I finally traced all the wires from the positive terminal of the battery back to their source, and discovered a short in the ignition switch itself. I found that I could pull the key out of the switch while it was still running, which led me to look at this component more closely. I have ordred a new switch and should have it by next week. After installation I'll rerun the tests again, and hopefiully not have the same results. More later, and thanks again for the help.

Chuck