Ok, so I turn the key on my 73 dodge charger, and nothing. Check lights, no power. Check battery, 12 V. Not surprising, as I had last drove it an hour earlier. Saw the fusible link off the start relay was fried. Found 1.5 ohm to ground on the fuseblock side of the link, and no fuses blown.

Only so many things it could be, so I started with isolating the alternator. Found the alternator output terminal shorted dead to ground. Spliced in a piece of 16 GA to ' field repair ' the fusible link. And drove it home.

I've never had an alternator short out before. Is this common?