Alternator started sparking

AND NOW another annoying story from the old days

In the early 70's, stationed at NAS Miramar, San Diego, some girls had ploughed into the rear of the 70 440-6 RR and it was in the body shop. I had a junk--bald-tire loaner Valiant from "McCune Chrysler Plymouth" in National city. Even in San Diego, it gets "cool" once in awhile. I was getting off work near 7AM and had gone out and started the loaner. The Chief came in a couple minutes later, doing his kintted-eyebrows "Columbo" look. "Say, I just have ONE question? Is it supposed to be SMOKING AND SQUEELING?"

So I went out and shut it off, and for some reason took a rag and loosened the belt, and tried to move the alternator pulley. This was the older "round back" with individual diodes. Turns out a diode had FALLEN DOWN INSIDE the alternator but the WIRE WAS STILL connected. When I moved the pulley the DIODE SHORTED into the case and I got to sit there and watch the underhood harness go FAAAXXXXXAXXZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEESSSSSFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTtttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and then the fuse link blew!!!

So I called the dealer and told them "send a wrecker and a second loaner car, the wiring burned up

So they sent the green card holder in a junk pickup truck with about a dozen dead batteries and 1/2 a pair of jumper cables. He looked and me and said "YOU ARE GOING TO NEED another loaner car!!! YOUR HARNESS is burned up!!!!!

(It's about 25 mi. one way from Miramar to the dealer in National City so I got to wait awhile for the "return trip")