Hang on a minute,
Before we get into overly technical solutions and talk of diode packs and such, lets look at the

problem as stated

the B+ terminal (which should have the heavy gauge cable on it to the battery) is getting hot,there are two possible causes, either the entire alternator is producing or receiving a massive current due to a fault which is exeeding the terminal`s capacity, or, (much more likely), the connection itself has a bad ( ie high resistance) connection though which the charging current is passing and producing a voltage drop.

To put it in simple terms if a terminal gets locally hot there a poor connection

at that point 99 times out of 100.

Clean the mating surfaces of the connection and replace the ring terminal (the problem may be in the crimped joint) on the end of the of the wire and it will, in all probability, cure the problem.
If not, and the wire itself is cooler the further away from the from the connection you get, the problem is probably a bad connection at the other end of the mounting stud, ie. inside the alternator. Always try the simple solutions first, they are nearly always the cheapest and very often the cause of the problem.
Good luck,
Colin.

I would first check to see if the alternator is actually grounded. Mine was not and the voltage fluctuated due to a floating ground. I physically checked via a Voltmeter (under the car) the voltage from the alternator output to chassis ground and then ran a 10 gauge wire from the alternator body to chassis ground and again checked the voltage. Lo and behold, the voltage went up to 14 VDC and has been rock solid ever since.

Some alternators (Pep Boys) do not have a ground point to connect to. I assumed that the alternator would be grounded through the nut/bolt setup. But this time it was not. So, I ran a wire from a point on the alternator body to chassis ground.

Lawren

Just curious, what is the relationship of the Volts to Amps?

If your volts are high (like 15 to 17) but the amps are low (like zero to 1), then your regulator is toast.

If the Volts are low, you may have blown a diode. (there are 4 set in an AC-to-DC-array, a loss of one will drop 25 percent of the power)

If your alternator is Hot, check for a wiring short (possibly internal or external in the car's wiring harness), or bearings that are dying (which is usually accompanied by a loud noise). I'd trace the wiring harness from the alternator to make sure that none of the lines are shorting to ground.

Also, is your 'battery' idiot light coming on with the other idiot lights before you start your car? This is needed to pre-charge an induction field in the alternator for proper operation.

For further diagnosis, check out the local auto-parts stores for a alternator test station. One of the local parts stores has a bench where you bolt down your alternator and they hook a motor and belt up to it. They run it through a series of load tests and the attached computer gives you a printout of the performance.

Good luck and God bless,
Fitz Fitzgerald.
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'87 Blue 245, NA 214K