[azfordman]

I believe it was a secondary or in conjunction problem.... It looks like it was in line with the field line of the alternator. From what I can recall from auto shop this is the line that supplies power to the alternator. From what I can tell....still guessing to a point, the voltage regulator went bad....sticking "on".....this continued to push power into the battery even though it was fully charged, boiling the water and blowing off the covers. My plan was to jump start the car and drive home with the battery disconnected via the + disconnect switch in the cock pit of the car. After I got on the road I did kill the battery cut off, but the car started to die, so I switched it back on. Apparently somewhere in this process the fusible link burned out, thus not allowing the alternator to send out any voltage, or at least only minimal voltage. The car ran like crap driving home, I assume from a lack of voltage supplied to the ignition system. With the fusible link connected I was not getting more than .5 volts to the field of the alternator. With the fusible link bypassed I was getting 12 volts to the alternator. I even turned off the battery shut off and the car kept on running, so I know the alternator is working. Does this make sense? It kind of does to me......