Last question first - no , you are not an idiot. You are a brave, inquisitive individual who is not afraid to take on something difficult and succeed at it. Those are exceptionally positive qualities in a society that values McDonalds-everyone-is-the-same.
On the rest, give me you address and I'll copy the relevant pages for you. I will go down and look up your engine codes, and answer that separately.
Hi guys, I occasionally spend a few minutes when available trying to get my alternator problem figured out. Brought my alternator to Autozone last month and it tested bad, so I turned it in and got a new one. Thought I compared the old and new one together, but apparently did not do a good enough job checking it. Replacing an alternator should be an easy job, right? New one doesn't fit. I'm having a helluva time and my car can't be moved as a result. I wish I could get my old alternator back, just long enough to move the car into the garage. My questions: 1. Do I have an alternator or a generator? My dash light says "GEN" and my '73 GMC Sprint manual calls it a "Delcotron Generator Assembly." The Autozone computer calls it an "alternator." 2. Shouldn't there be a difference between alternators on pre-'75 and post-'75 models? I bought shiny new chrome alternator brackets thinking that the old brackets looked like something thrown together by some shadetree mechanic. The new brackets are good for models up through 1975. The Autozone computer shows the same alternator for a '73 307, '73 350, and a '77 350. Maybe they tried to make one alternator interchangeable with too many others.3. Where can I find some sort of identifying code on my engine? Given that the previous owner used this Sprint as a parts car forother cars, I'm not even sure I have the original 350 anymore. 4. Am I an idiot for even taking this project on? Thanks all for your help. Nothing urgent here, but I sure would like to at least be able to move my Sprint without selling it as a parts car. Saul '73 GMC Sprint
