After all my testing I've come to the point where
I have change the alt. Just wondering if there's a way to change it w/out dropping the
engine. Thanks jbart

Its possible. Here's a tech article which should help you along.

http://www.914world.com/specs/alternator_replacement.php

Search! Lots of threads on this.

The basics:
Unplug the battery.
loosen the belt tension bolt and remove the belt.
Lift up the drivers side of your car and put it on jackstands.
Remove the tin cutout.
Unplug the alternator.
Cuss lots trying to get your hands to fit to remove the needed bolts.
Cuss lots as alternator tries to fall on your face on removal.
Put the new unit in. Its easier then taking it out to be sure.
Cuss lots trying to find the now blind bolt holes for the tin to bolt into.
Replace the belt and set tension.
plug that battery back in.
turn on the car and hope you did it right and the curesd red light on the dash goes out.

Zach

You might prefer to turn on your woman and instead _start_ the car.

...Don't forget to go back over your work...on both accounts
before you start her up!

I had to change the alternator on my car right after I bought it - no way would I do it again without dropping the engine. Might be just as much work, but a lot less frustrating, and less blood loss.

Nobody else mentioned it, but you might need to change the bolts - rebuilts come with long bolts that will short against the tin (something like that - I've pushed those painful memories aside). I found out the hard way, much sparks, second alternator, oh yeah, I'm starting to remember now ...

Changing the alternator is one of those jobs that benefits from experience. I pulled and reinstall an alternator in the parking lot at this years RRC. About an hour out, and 45 minutes back in. Not a big deal if you follow the tech article I wrote, linked above.

I beleive I may have told this story before, but I had a broken contact that I discovered after removing and reinstalling the alternator about 5 times. I got real good at it.

The damn thing would work fine, then go crazy. I'd pull it off and give it to a shop and they'd declare that nothing was wrong. Finely I took it to a shop where they pulled the contact and it had a split in it.

Breaking the screws loose on the pipe that connects the heat exchangers to the "up tube" was the hardest part.

Well maybe crawling under the car was the hardest part

I don't think it took you that long but it's your story. You left out the part about having to talk to idiots like me while you worked. And you were working out of how many tool "kits"? Did that time include waiting on the welder? BTW, you didn't mention that it was a good looking chicks cars, either! Your a good guy Mark. Guys like you are the backbone of this org.

You could be like that guy that owned my car last and cut a hole behind the seat then did a bubble gum weld job on it. I love the last owners of cars. There so awsome!!!

Cuzz lots .............. then cuzz some more.