Imust be crazy!

[secondchance]

Last Saturday on the way home from Carlisle about a mile, mile and a half from home, check gauge lights up. I scan the gauges and notice my volt meter is reading 8 volts. Hmmm, alternator... I realize a couple of days ago I had noticed 12 volts reading but went back to normal 14.7. Alternator must have been fading out for a few days and finally gave up the ghost. Luckily I am almost home and could make it back if I go into emergency mode - turn off headlights, radio off, HVAC fan off -minimal power consumption mode. I drive into my condo garage and digital instruments blank out and come back intermittently. I park my car and all goes dead - real lucky or has she developed a conscience?

I order a rebuilt Remy alternator from Jerry and it showed up around 5 pm today. I mask off vents, plugs, pulley, etc... and spray silver VHT paint to avoid raw aluminum getting grungy over the years.

After a quick dinner, at 7, I start removing intake duct, belt, 13mm bolts, etc... I elect to remove intake horn and the throttle body as opposed to lifting the plenum. I ordered and had a spare gasket between the plenum and the throttle body ready. Throttle body to plenum gasket separates with no damage. But the airhorn to throttle body gasket breaks up! Such is life... A lot more to remove then I thought. Remove the old alternator gently and drop in the new alternator, line up and carefully thread M8 bolt in the back that bolts to a bracket bolted to the IH. Careful! Don't drop that bolt. May not be able to find between the valley! Line up long M8 and another M8 to the aluminum bracket... Damn! Dropped a 10mm socket and it got sucked into the LT5 blackhole - no where to be found. Must have ended up in the parallel universe.

What I figured to be pretty straight forward 2 hours to remove and reinstall ends up being 3 hours... By the time I am done and back in my condo it's 10 o'clock - tired, dirty and sweaty. My wife stares at me with that "you gotta be crazy!" look. Yes. I think I am crazy... But I get to drive my Z tomorrow!