Ya, they can be a bitch. I usually rotate it once it's lose from the motor and disconnect the wire. Do the same when you put it back in. Not so bad when you've done it about 10 times. LOL
Yeah that's what I did also. It was the small single wire with a snap-on connector that gave me so much trouble, it was routed around different stuff and couldn't see or get to it. Dave when you put a new one back in do you leave the rubber dampers in the engine housing or take them out and put them on the alt. ?