Apparently the 7 volts is enough to get it going. its also interesting that it CAN spin bit not fast enough to work properly.
So I'm pretty confident its a belt problem. Taking the load off the alternator with a battery charger allows the belt to grab the pulley and start spinning. Upon closer inspection the belt is cracking and glazed on the sides. This will be the first time ever the belt has been slipping without any ear piercing screeching sounds. The pulley is also smooth as glass. I'm going to build a better bracket for tensioning, get a new belt and see if I can't sand blast the pulley somewhere or perhaps flap wheel with my dremel.
Ahhhh... The thought crossed my mind that there could be a belt problem but I ASSUMED that checked out ok. Guess that's what assuming does. Glad you found the problem.
not definite yet. need to fab a bracket
So this actually turned out to be a complete waste of money-problem. The pulley I have has worn to the point where it will evenly wear a belt until its too thin to properly grib the pulley but at the same time it wont squeel, the wear doesnt look unusual, it will spin everything but silently slip on the alternator.
Only once i had a new belt in my hand i saw how much thinner the old belt was from the new one. It had all the markings still on it but it was too worn to spin the pulley.
My 65 amp alternator is old and has at least 1 burnt diode but it still works if you spin it fast enough, This new 90 amp alternator i suppose is just an expensive upgrade to deal with my high load accessories like a 600 watt inverter, 2 100 watt roof rack lights, higher wattage head lights (135 watts each) and big-@$$ stereo. I guess I can finally add those heated seats & driver seat massage pad.
Wow, you mean a new belt would have solved the problem in the first place? That would be so bad.
JFTC.

that is full blown retarded.
Wow, you mean a new belt would have solved the problem in the first place? That would be so bad.
Sort of. the pulley would have chewed it up but all i had to do was gently clean up the insides with my dremel and sand it smooth with medium emery cloth...
But, 65 amps wasn't doing it for me. I think there was a reason i went through 2 batteries in 2 years.
Never the less I'll always check the condition and THICKNESS of my belts from now on.
I wish i had taken pictures of the old belt. It looked fine except for the fact that it was about half the width it used to be.
I dont know if i ever posted but this is the little bracket i made to make the bigger 90 amp alternator fit with the original 65 amp bracket on an AAZ

It works amazingly! I can get the tension just right!
my 90a alternator bolted into the same spot that my 65a came from.. dunno why you needed anything different for it..
I think the mounting hole on mine is different because there is no way in hell the arm would reach it. Is your alternator Bosch?
I think the mounting hole on mine is different because there is no way in hell the arm would reach it. Is your alternator Bosch?
i took off a 65a bosch, and installed a 90a bosch.. direct replacement other than the wiring..
Weird. Mine is the opposite. Same wiring different body.