this is obvious knowledge to old timers, but where does the battery go which powers the kalart rangefinder spot? is it powered from the flash?

See how easy it is to be an expert?! You just answered your own question. Yes 99% of the time it was powered by removing the glass lens in the Graflex flash and running a special cord from that socket to the two contact pins. Other flash units like the Mendelson Speed gun and later Heiland Synchronars and specific places on the flash for a bi-pin cord.

In literature, Kalart made a battery case that attached to the top of the camera, but I've never seen one in real life.

on my camera, the screw in spotting scope for the side mounted rangefinder needs servicing. the image is fuzzy and dim. is this due to dust, or the kalart rangefinder being out of alignment? is there a help file on this site, for users to check alignment of their kalart?

Go to the main Graflex.org site. Look for Technical Information. There is a section in there about rangefinder calibration.

Also, FYI, this site has an excellent SEARCH function. It might save you some time in the future.

You can clean things like the rangescopes external surfaces with windex and q-tips. As follows:
Wet new q-tip in windex, remove excess fluid, and then lightly turn and clean surface. Follow imediately with clean dry q-tip.
This works well also with rangefinder windows.
Caution: Note that above I recommend removing excess windex cleaning fluid from primary cleaning tip. This is so that you don't sponge out a bunch of fluid on a lens and haveit weep around the back side of the lens andor into things where you do not want it.
I use this method to clean dozens of Side Kalart windows, View finders etc, inside and out with great results.
But if the gunk is on the inside, either live with it, or learn to get at it.
Next you'll want a new half silvered top mirror eh? Don't try cleaing that. Silver comes off very easy.