Couple of engine/transmission issues - 1996 SN GT40 with PCM 40A ~ 460hrs

[emerscape]

Hi All:

Hoping for some help on a couple of issues that have popped up with my brother's 1996 SN with approximately 460hrs that we are troubleshooting. I've done some research but could use additional guidance. Boat has been out three times this summer since being de-winterized. I've summarized the issues below:

1. Squeaking from belt pulleys with possible harmonic balancer issue
   1. At idle, squeaking noise coming from pulleys. See link below for a video of it. This is at idle with transmission in neutral. Once throttle is applied it goes away. My biggest concern is the bottom pulley and harmonic balancer appear to be spinning out of round. I can't tell if it is an optical illusion or in fact the issue. There is a bit of belt dust but according to him the belts are original (he bought the boat from the original owner about 6-7 years ago). We've also had a recent low voltage issue (see #4 below).
   2. 
2. Transmission fluid leaking out of dipstick tube
   1. We've recently found transmission fluid in the bilge. All lines appear to be dry. The only place we are finding the fluid leaking from is the dipstick tube. I noticed at the beginning of the season the transmission fluid was low (we haven't changed it yet) so I topped it off with a 1/3 quart of Dexron/Mercon. I had noticed a little bit of fluid in the boat our last outing of the 2020 season but attributed it to the fact that we live at the top of a 1/2 mile steep driveway that has a bit of a pothole about halfway up that causes the trailer to bounce. I thought maybe I hadn't fully pushed the dipstick in all the way and that it had caused the fluid to slosh out.
   2. Now that we are seeing it in the bilge and coming out of the dipstick, I'm wondering if I either overfilled it or we have an issue with the oil cooler and that it is taking water into the transmission. I'm not seeing strawberry milkshake so I'm not sure if its taking in water. I don't think that I overfilled it since it measured properly before I took it out. There wasn't much transmission fluid in the bilge the first two times but definitely a lot more yesterday when we went out. You can see it in the picture of the the trans cooler below.
   3. 
3. Spot of oil on engine mount
   1. Noticed a tiny spot of oil on the engine mount. I can't seem to find any seepage anywhere. I'm thinking we need to do an oil change as we haven't done one yet for the season (we've had a bunch of other priorities). Are there common leaks to look for in this area?
   2. 
4. Voltmeter issues
   1. On our first day out on the water we had an issue with the Perfect Pass constantly resetting itself. Did some reading and started with the replacement of the battery which was 6-7 years old (after I had it tested). Since then PP is working properly but we are only getting a reading of ~11v on the voltmeter. I thought the alternator belt looked a bit loose so I tightened it up but that didn't resolve the issue. Boat starts fine. Going to test the alternator but figured I'd mention it given #1. Alternator was supposedly replaced with battery 6-7 years ago. I've read a lot about bad grounds and the need to run heavier gauge wire which is on our list.
   2. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. My brother has been kind enough to lend me the boat this summer and I have two young boys who are excited about being able to go out in it for the summer. My brother is much more mechanically inclined then I am (he can do engine & transmission replacements in cars, body work, etc.) whereas I'm still learning (I can do brakes, suspension kit installs, etc.) but he has a 1k other things going on so I'm trying to do the research and will work with him to repair.

[SilentSeven]

I had a 97 Ski and dealt with a few of these issues.

The transmission fluid in the bilge could very well be a leaking front transmission seal. Quite common in these boats at this age. With your hand, reach under the bell housing at the transmission/bell housing seam and feel for oily wetness.

The Perfect Pass problem is almost for sure power to the dash related. I solved mine by adding an additional harness to the dash with dedicated power and ground. Used to to run the PP and stereo. Here's a couple of pics of what I ended up building and mounting. Dedicated battery and ground lines with relays and busses. This is mounted to airbox above the drivers kickplate....

[THE HECKLER]

1.) my 98 gt-40 had squeaking belts. turned out the pulleys had rust spots on them with built up areas. took some emery cloth to the inside surfaces of all of the pulleys. no more squeaking or belt stretch and burn.

2.) probably a defective o-ring or gasket for the dipstick.

great idea for re-powering the accessories. as well as these boats are engineered I have found the electrical wiring system to be somewhat lacking.