Alternator Replacement Tips?

Looks like the alternator on my 96 Sonoma (4.3 Vortech) is crapping out.

Any tricks or advice for replacement are heartily welcomed.

Thanks!

Disconnect the negative battery cable before doing anything.

Check for a serpentine belt routing decal under the hood. If you dont have one, snap a picture of the belt routing before you remove it.

Other than that its like one plug, one stud terminal, a few 15mm or 13mm bolts, and thats it.

93gsxturbo wrote: Disconnect the negative battery cable before doing anything. Check for a serpentine belt routing decal under the hood. If you dont have one, snap a picture of the belt routing before you remove it. Other than that its like one plug, one stud terminal, a few 15mm or 13mm bolts, and thats it.

Thanks!

The belt routing is no problem - the decal is intact and I became very familiar with the path when replacing the water pump last year.

This truck only has 70,000 miles on it. How likely is it that the alternator is the culprit, or if it's something else, like a relay or regulator?

I made that mistake ONCE of not noting the routing of a belt.

What are the symptoms? The miles and that age of the truck it certainly could be the alternator.

...could have the local advanced/zone "test" it while on the truck... or test it when you pull it

mad_machine wrote: I made that mistake ONCE of not noting the routing of a belt.

I made it 1.5 times.

Once I removed the belt like an idiot.

Once on a new (to me) car it came off on it's own before I know how it was routed.