Small update. I finally installed the serpentine belt. Not sure if my method was technically correct but it worked. I took off the idler pulley so it didn't interfere with the belt and then installed the belt on the rest of the areas. Then I released tension and put the idler pulley back on.

On another note, I heard that it is often the voltage regulators that go bad in these alternators. B/c of this I removed mine and saw that it was full of gunk where the rotor meets the brushes of the regulator. I cleaned it out and took it to auto zone where they tested it and it passed. I then installed it in my car and it worked for a couple of days... Fast forward to today when I am having the battery light and low voltage again.

Here is what I am wondering:
Is the alternator bad?
Could it be some kind of drain caused by faulty wiring that is causing the battery to die?


Once again, sorry for dropping all these questions but I am at my wits end.