problem is I dont have a shop or garage to do it in so im gonna have to take it to a mechanic to have it installed then I'm just going to upgrade the wires I dont even know what ones i need to change yet i am just going to look at all the wires that go to the alt and battery and go with larger gauge so this alt that i will be buying I must be able to just hand over to someone and say here ya go install it..
There are a few things to consider (and it's really not that difficult to do, either. An alternator can be changed on the roadside with hand tools; and if you need a shop, garage, or airtools, I'm sure you can post up in your local chapter and find someone willing to help you.)
The "cheap way out" for an upgrade is the ZJ/WJ/Durango/Dakota V8 swap - but that does require a bit of grinding to clear the larger armature frame on the 136A unit. I understand that Mean Green, Powermaster,
et al units are a drop-in installation, but they're spendy. And Rod (San Jose Generator - the shop I use) can fix you up with a drop-in 130A unit for a buck an amp. ($125.00 + pack & post, actually - but that's still rather less than the big boys. I have great faith in his work, I've been using it for years.)
As far as wiring upgrades, bear in mind that you
will need to replace the alternator lead to take full advantage of the new unit, and you'll need to make sure to upgrade the fuse protection in that circuit (OEMs usually use "just enough wire" for the OEM application. The circuit is then fused accordingly.) If you hit me backchannel, I can get you pointed in a good direction on that - you can click the link in my sig for both San Jose Generator and myself. This will give you an upgrade solution you can handle with basic hand tools (socket wrenches, a drill, and a hex key,) in an hour or so. In the driveway.
Sans a shop or anything else complex. I trust you have at least basic hand tools?
Bear in mind that the alternator lead doesn't run directly to the battery - it runs into primary distribution via some variety of fuse device (on RENIX rigs, it went to the screwpost on the starter motor relay by way of a fusible link. Later models got in by way of the PDC, and either a fusible link segment or a pair of MAXI60 fuses in the PDC itself - depending on version.)
Bear one thing in mind about "testing" - if you take your alternator in to have the parts house put on the bench, they're testing voltage output at low current. This is not RPT
not and effective test! The little read Bear ARBST tester gives somewhat better results, but I consider even those suspect. I have a 100A load box that I use in conjunction with a DMM for checking - if it's still suspect after that (or if it's not rated for 100A max output,) I'll pull the thing out and take it to an alternator shop to get wrung out on the bench there - chances are, he can do a much better job (I know Rod can. I tend to assume that alternator shops are going to be similar nationwide. Rod's bench looks like something out of a Frankenstein movie, and it can tell you
exactly what's wrong with the thing!)