Cobalt Boats Forum

[media][/media] Thanks for the update. Was there a maintenance history with the boat? Did you have the engine tested? The obvious move is to focus on the Merc recommended engine maintenance. I don't have maintenance records from before I bought. But based on the condition of the out drive, I'm going...

UPDATE! Just in time for spring, got her back today. New cone clutch, gear sets (major out drive overhaul), all new throttle and shift cables, bellows, gimbal bearing, full tune up, etc... After all this, I have the serious itch to get her out early this season. Anything else I should watch out for ...

I appreciate the feedback. This is certainly frustrating. I think I would prefer a used out drive in this case. Not that I plan on selling anytime soon, but I would think that a mercury on it would be easier to sell than anything else aftermarket. Again, thanks for the ideas. I'm open to options, bu...

"I would think seriously about buying a used drive . . . Just went through this. Bought a used drive with a 30-day warranty, had it tested and installed. Works perfectly. At about 1/4 the price of new. Pay careful attention to gear ratios. Be leery of anything pre-2005. This is something I was...

I would think seriously about buying a used drive or just the upper from Sterndrive Engineering. I think when it all sorts out you could sell one of them and get most of your money back. Otherwise, you could be sitting here next spring wanting to go boating and still waiting on parts. Not sure what...

Good afternoon all, Early last summer I bought a 2006 226 with 496/ bravo 3 engine/drive package with 500 hours on it. This is the exact boat I have wanted (down to color, engine, and options) since they were still made and I was in high school, and I absolutely love it.... When it wasn't broke... T...

One thing you didn't mention was how you had the drive trimmed. My last boat was a 20' Reinell with 5.0gi. 1.51 gearing. Had an aluminum 19 pitch prop (edges were a little rough). I could get 40-42 with the trim down all the way down and 48-49 with the trim up some. Ended up changing to a stainless ...

I have a 2015, which is the same boat as they sold in 2009 except for some of the options like electronics and seagrass carpets. I'm changing out the stereo stuff anyway, so that's not a big deal, and the rest of the boat still looks pretty new. I do like the styling of the 210 more than the 212 wh...

Just chiming in to say that we really like our CS23 but I can't say its fundamentally any "better" than your 226. It will have more technology, which can be good and bad. In response to @dustinm's comment above, the tower on the 2022 and newer folds lower than the earlier models. We can f...

Sorry - new 20 year boat? Three time around the lake then pull that sucker out and it goes right to a knowledgeable mechanic for $3--4K baseline work (Cables, Gimble, tune-up, fuel rail test, impeller, risers,prop,battery/ACR, bilge switch etc). If not; you'll be posting here again real soon, and t...

Just my opinion, but I think your boat was made during the peak years of Cobalt design and quality. I keep reading about newer Cobalts having issues with stainless steel screws that rust, gelcoat that spider cracks, towers that have corrosion under the paint, etc. That said, I would not turn down a...

Good day all, This is a post just for informational purposes and maybe a bit of fun discussion. I purchased a 2006 226 earlier this year and it has been an absolute dream come true. I have wanted this boat since they were new in the early 2000's and it hasn't disappointed. But, it does have over 600...

So I took it to my mechanic. He said my shift cable was pretty far out of adjustment, charged me an hour of labor and said I'm good to go.

I'm wondering if I should still expect to be doing a clutch soon, or if I will really be good to go for a while.

You can shift it with it on muffs. Just make sure the area is clear. I never have heard that it is bad to shift with the engine not running...dog clutch drives are a different story. How many hours do you have on the drive? Change gear oil every year? I have just over 600 hours. I just bought it a ...

You can shift it with it on muffs. Just make sure the area is clear. I never have heard that it is bad to shift with the engine not running...dog clutch drives are a different story. How many hours do you have on the drive? Change gear oil every year? I have just over 600 hours. I just bought it a ...