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Actually, that is one good way to fry a perfectly good alternator. There is a reason every shop manual says, in large letters, DO NOT OPERATE ALTERNATOR WITHOUT A BATTERY IN THE CIRCUIT. No battery, no voltage reference value, the regulator cannot control the alternator output voltage, and it will go overvoltage and pop the rectifier diodes. Dead alternator.
All you need is a voltmeter -- battery voltage with engine off and no major load is something like 12.5V. With the engine running, you must have at least 13.1V for the battery to charge. If you don't get at least 13.1V, the alternator is bad or the wiring to the alternator is bad and you have no power to the coil and it won't charge.
Peter
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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!
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