Geoff, Something that some people may forget,and that is to disconnect the battery before you even start working on the alternator,that also includes both the positive and the negative cables,as it is possible for the disconnected cable to move and "touch" the business end of the battery and make just enough contact to screw things up,or at least scare the hell out of you. Also when you disconnect the battery ALWAYS start with the Negative cable and always start with the Positive cable when reconnecting.Also when connecting power back to the car keep the wrench near the battery where you can instantly find it in case you have to drastically disconnect the battery or better yet have a cable cutter for the worst case scenario handy,(if you have to cut the cable,cut the negative cable)and of course a Fire extinguisher at all times(fully charged)then leave/store that in the car.Never over tighten a Alternator Belt as that will cause premature wear on the Alternator bearings,and make sure the V part is in the groove,you would be surprised how many people put the belt on wrong.You should only be able to push down on the belt approx. one inch, when tightened correct,if you can push down more than that it is to loose,less it is to tight. Hope some of this info is helpful Claude --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "geoff_ombao" <geoff_ombao@...> wrote: > > I find myself in a similar situation ... > > I'm not very mechanically inclined, and my alternator is going. I > figured this might be a good opportunity to learn some new skills, so > I bought a new one (and I just received it in the mail). > > Installation seems pretty straight forward, but does anyone have any > tips that they'd like to share? > > - Geoff > [moderator snip] To address comments privately to the moderating team, please address: moderators@xxxxxxxxxxx For more info on the list, tech articles, cars for sale see www.dmcnews.com To search the archives or view files, log in at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:dmcnews-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx mailto:dmcnews-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: dmcnews-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/