Well, here was the final fix on this nightmare! I took it to a reputable shop who in fact knew and understood what cam retard was and offered to set it for $65. Once the cam retard was set however, there was still a bad idle so the mechanic double checked everything I did and whalla! Upon putting the thing on the scope it was determined that the rebuilt Mass Air Flow sensor I installed as the very first part to fix this issue was indeed the culprit. It worked fine once the engine came off idle but when it sat there at idle, the scope showed the inconsistent wave patterns. They replaced that MAF with a brand new unit and the truck runs like brand new.

So here is my suggestion to all of you struggling with the idle surge. Go buy a Brand new MAF and install it and DO NOT try and save money by getting a rebuilt one. I tried that routine and it cost me roughly an additional $2000 in parts and labor that was not needed and that is probably on the low side.
The issue is that a handheld scanner such as my Innova will not pick up the code on it and you end up chasing evap codes etc. I will also say to check this first ESPECIALLY if when you turn on your headlights or the blower motor to the high setting, you notice the engine start to surge noticiable more than before doing that or if when you turn on the headlights, you notice the motor bog down like 200 -300 rpms and then correct itself. Mine does not surge at all now so save yourself a life of aggrevation and money and just take the darn thing to someone with a scope scanner to begin with!
This one almost caused a relapse when I found out what happened!
Errr!
Thank you Captain for EVERYTHING you suggested! You were spot on with the Cam retard according to the mechanic that worked on my truck.
Blessings!
racechaplain

 

Nightmare is right. Couple different ways to check MAF sensors, frequency and grams per second are the best, but both require a high end scan tool. No MAF code in memory and you assume it's OK. Your situation was a perfect example of why a good scan tool, and knowing how to read and understand it, is so important when diagnosing problems, (tough to do online). Knowing where everything should be is a huge advantage. Good technicians will spot a problem just by looking over the data, just like your tech did. Hang on to that guy, $65 well spent and worth every penny.