installed a new alternator and look what happened, updated pics confirming that bosche alt's need to be mod'd bef Options

[pba110]

i thought i would keep this thread together by answering my own questions (i kept the original post below this one). essentially my rebuilt alternator was in my car for about an hour before it blew up and fried my wiring harness. most of you made the wise diagnosis that the alt had grounded to the frame somewhere and shorted out. i was worried i had just f'ed up the install or there was more electical problems with my car than i thought.however, just as you predicted, after i pulled it out this is what i found:
(IMG:http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/pba110/914/IMG_1605.jpg)
(IMG:http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/pba110/914/IMG_1613.jpg)
you can see that the washer on the rebuilt alternator is raised compared to the original equipment (this is the one i just put in my car...notice the b+ washer on the right is flush...this is very important!:
(IMG:http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/pba110/914/IMG_1607.jpg)
anyway, second time around was quite a bit quicker...i think it took me about 45 minutes to get the thing out. while i was already covered in dirt and grease i went ahead and did my first valve adjustment...car runs awesome now but the valves are a fair bit louder. i wonder if this is how they are supposed to sound being that they were just slightly off the mark (some of them not requiring any adjustment)? i did .004 in/ex
anyway, just wanted to reiterate what is explained in the classics thread, this is a serious problem and nobody i spoke with at pelican had any idea about it. oh well, seems to be working well now that i've got an OEM one back in the car... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
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after some huffing and puffing, i got the alternator in and out after i fried the diodes from a foolish switching of the battery poles...
anyway, putting in the new alt and checking all the connections twice, i fired her up...
and the "g" light...went off!!!!
success i thought. i spent the rest of the weekend trying to get the heater and working properly.
anyway, drove the car for about an hour...stopped and started the car about 5 times. absolutely trouble free driving.
however, on my 6th start up after it had been sitting for maybe 10 minutes? a large amount of black smoke came out of the engine bay (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) ...as soon as i saw it i cut off the car and checked for damage assuming it was some tubing from the heater which had caught fire touching the engine or something? i was wrong; it was the wire running from the alternator to the starter...in fact, it was still smoldering when i lifted the lid to the engine bay
this is what i found (this pic is taken after i put electrical tape on the bare wire:
(IMG:http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/pba110/914/IMG_1585.jpg)
took a look back at the starter...the burn went all the way to it:
(IMG:http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/pba110/914/IMG_1591.jpg)
here's the best shot i could get of the underside of the car:
(IMG:http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/pba110/914/IMG_1586.jpg)
(IMG:http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/pba110/914/IMG_1587.jpg)
(IMG:http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/pba110/914/IMG_1590.jpg)
so i'm thinking, how did this happen? did the wire touch the intake pipe and catch on fire? perhaps, here's a pic of some rubber on it...and it did do it when i started the engine, perhaps when the engine "shook" to life it was still hot and touched the wire igniting it..check the first pic as well...
(IMG:http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/pba110/914/IMG_1592.jpg)
so...i fried the wire...and when i started the car again...the F%$KING "g" light is back on!!!!! everything works perfectly though. car starts fine...all electrical works, no fuses are blown
so, what do you guys think? did i mess something else up in the electrical system or did this wire's insulation catch on fire, cause a short and did it fry my alternator once again?
can i buy new wires for the alternator?
i'm bummed, thought my days of alternator swapping were behind me...hopefully this was just a freak accident...and there isn't something more complicated wrong with the system...here's a pic of my relay...nothing looks out of the ordinary there...again, new VR
(IMG:http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/pba110/914/IMG_1593.jpg)
any advice is greatly appreciated. looks like i'm toolin' instead of driving next weekend (IMG:style_emoticons/default/owned.gif)