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I just did this and it's not that bad of a job.
1. Disconnect the battery
2. Take the belt off of the alternator pulley. No need to take the belt completely off.
3. Loosen the bolt with the idler pulley on it just a few turns. Then hit the end of the bolt with a soft blow hammer a few times. This pushes the bushing at the back of the alternator back a pinch and makes the job much easier.
4. Take the left hand bolt off (the one at roughly 7:00)
5. Now take the right hand bolt all the way out. You're going to have to wiggle it a bit to clear the firewall.
6. Rotate the alternator clockwise a bit and then rotate the pulley downward so you can get to the back of the alternator. Unplug the connector and take the nut off to take the battery cable and another wire off.
It should come right out after that.
I'd take it to Autozone (or whoever is the major auto parts store in your area) and have them check the alternator. This should pinpoint what is wrong with your alternator (if anything is wrong).
Installation is the reverse of removal. The whole job shouldn't take more than an hour or two.
My alternator checked out good, which will save me $$$$, as these things aren't cheap. My next thing is to have my near new Optima battery checked.
Good luck.
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