Retired Service Manager for a large Cobalt Dealer

[Titaniumboy]

The best advice I can give you is to remove the pump and the bracket that holds the pump to the engine all in one assembly. Do not try to just remove the pump from the bracket assembly. Not only is it much more difficult, but getting it back in and in position is next to impossible.

These pictures may not be exactly like your set up, but they should be close. You should get the idea.

Other than that, if you’ve got any missing pieces of your old impeller, be sure and flush all the hoses and back flush everything you can and try to locate them. You may already know that, but a lot of people do not.

Thanks for the advice on impeller replacement. I appreciate your help.

I’ve bet you’ve got some great stories during your two decade tenure as service manager. What makes a good customer from a service managers perspective? Conversely, what makes a bad customer from your perspective?

It would also be interesting to hear how helpful (or not) the factory was to your service department. Did you see any changes - good or bad - after Cobalt was sold?

[Izzybo69]

So those are a few interesting, and delicate questions.

So I’m gonna ask a question of my own first. Is this site owned, managed (moderators), or affiliated with Cobalt/Malibu boats?

I can, and will be more than happy to help on this page with Boats, mechanical issues, as well as dealing with the manufacture and dealers. I just have to feel it out so I kind of know where my boundaries are.

I hope that makes sense, and you can understand.

Thanks

[Krob1114]

So those are a few interesting, and delicate questions.

So I’m gonna ask a question of my own first. Is this site owned, managed (moderators), or affiliated with Cobalt/Malibu boats?

I can, and will be more than happy to help on this page with Boats, mechanical issues, as well as dealing with the manufacture and dealers. I just have to feel it out so I kind of know where my boundaries are.

I hope that makes sense, and you can understand.

Thanks

I don't have an answer to your question, but there's several here that are not afraid to rip on 'bu.

[Izzybo69]

Krob1114, you’re in Greers ferry so your local dealer is the dealer that I was the service manager for. Just not that location. I was the service manager at their main location a little further south from you.

And it’s not necessarily that I want to “ bash” or talk bad about Cobalt/Malibu. I just want to know that I can speak the truth, good or bad, and give some insight on ways. You guys can better handle your issues with your local dealers.

Thanks

[Izzybo69]

Titaniumboy, and just to clarify I was not the service manager at that dealer for two decades. I owned my own business and did a lot of work for the local Cobalt dealer so the owner approached me about running his service department. The business that I owned was primarily doing custom audio/wiring installation in boats. As well as doing custom, fiberglass work, and installing wakeboard towers, etc. I went to work for the dealership as service manager a little over 10 years ago. I “retired” last August to go back to work for myself.

So now I own my own business again. We still do custom, audio and lighting, custom, fiberglass work, I have a detailing crew, and we have a concierge business. I am fortunate to have a good customer base and we basically uncover and wipe down their boats. When they are coming to their Lakehouse, make sure everything mechanically is good, have their boat ready to go with keys in ignition, (sometimes we ice down the coolers ). And then, when the customer is done for the weekend, we pick up their trash, give the boat a quick, wipe down, make sure all the battery switches are turned off, and then cover the boat until they come next time. There are a lot of people who get to spend a very short amount of time at the lake and they do not mind paying to make sure they have zero issues with their boat. They want to step on, use the boat, step off and leave. We are also on call 24/7 so when they’re trying to leave the restaurant/bar at 11 o’clock and I can’t get their boat started, we will go take care of the issue (usually just put the boat in neutral) and make sure they get home. We typically bill our customers once a month and they are more than happy to pay for the services they get.

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give a little clarification and a quick rundown about me and what I do now

As for me, personally, I spend most of my time doing custom fabrication, building/maintaining/tuning race cars. Fortunately, I have a great crew working for me that pretty much take care of the boat side of the business. But I cannot get completely away, because I still handle the majority of any issues that make him up.

Thanks

[AsLan7]

So I’m gonna ask a question of my own first. Is this site owned, managed (moderators), or affiliated with Cobalt/Malibu boats?

.
No affiliation.

Jhnmdal started the site on his own roughly eight years ago in January of 2015. He is the owner and chief moderator.

A small group of us gathered for a Cobalt factory tour in December of 2018.

The site has grown steadily over the years.

Great members with many pics and contributions. We try to keep the site family friendly with bashing to a minimum. I think one time it reared it’s ugly head due to a post being taken out of context regarding hack sawing a radar arch off a 30’ Cobalt.
Sometimes misinformation will lock a thread down too but for the most part it’s civil with a balanced perspective regarding Cobalt boats-both the good, the bad, and well, …..occasionally the ugly (like swim platforms falling off).

Hope this helps.

.

[Izzybo69]

AsLan7,

That helps a lot. Again, I do not intend to “bash” Cobalt in any way, shape or form. I just wanted to get an idea of how open and honest I can be with helping people when they have questions.

Thanks for the response

[marz989]

Speaking of the 302, I have a 2014 302 with twin 8.2l Mercruisers with B3 drives. Love the boat, but it looks like I need to replace the transom assemblies. Can you give me a ballpark estimate of what I can expect in terms of labor hours to do that job? Those engines are crammed in there. I had a cobalt dealer tell me a minimum of 100 hours. To me it sounded like his 'I don't want to do it' price.

[Izzybo69]

When you say “ replace transom assemblies” what exactly are you referring to? Are you just replacing the transom seals? Are you happened to repair the actual transom of the hull?

Give me a little more info of exactly what you’re trying to do and I can tell you what you should expect to pay from a reputable shop

[marz989]

Thanks. I'm not sure what else to call them. See the link

https://nuwavemarine.com/mercruiser-i-o ... 6315002tp/

The transom itself is not damaged.

[Izzybo69]

So let’s assume that you have all the parts. Down to every seal, nut, bolt, fluid, etc. So just talking labor.

On the majority of single engine
Cobalt boats (Merc is a little higher than VP). We usually go at around six hours to pull the engine and transom and then around 10 hours to put it all back in. So roughly 16 to 18 hours to R&R an engine, outdrive, and transom.

Now on a twin engine, it really wasn’t much harder if any. We mostly dealt with Volvo so it’s been a while since they made a “big block”. But once you pull the first engine, then you have more room to pull the second. So theoretically pull in the second engine is easier than pull in the first period.

So, in our service center we would probably charge around 36-40 hrs on a Volvo and probably around 40-46 hours on Merc big blocks or Volvo big blocks.

36x$135=$4860, 46x135=$6210. That’s an approximate low to high labor rate. It includes no parts, no fluids, no lake test. Just labor.

Hope that helps.

[marz989]

Thank you. That is very helpful. I was thinking 40 - 50 hours based on what I have read, so pretty darn close.

[dustinm]

Titaniumboy, and just to clarify I was not the service manager at that dealer for two decades. I owned my own business and did a lot of work for the local Cobalt dealer so the owner approached me about running his service department. The business that I owned was primarily doing custom audio/wiring installation in boats. As well as doing custom, fiberglass work, and installing wakeboard towers, etc. I went to work for the dealership as service manager a little over 10 years ago. I “retired” last August to go back to work for myself.

So now I own my own business again. We still do custom, audio and lighting, custom, fiberglass work, I have a detailing crew, and we have a concierge business. I am fortunate to have a good customer base and we basically uncover and wipe down their boats. When they are coming to their Lakehouse, make sure everything mechanically is good, have their boat ready to go with keys in ignition, (sometimes we ice down the coolers ). And then, when the customer is done for the weekend, we pick up their trash, give the boat a quick, wipe down, make sure all the battery switches are turned off, and then cover the boat until they come next time. There are a lot of people who get to spend a very short amount of time at the lake and they do not mind paying to make sure they have zero issues with their boat. They want to step on, use the boat, step off and leave. We are also on call 24/7 so when they’re trying to leave the restaurant/bar at 11 o’clock and I can’t get their boat started, we will go take care of the issue (usually just put the boat in neutral) and make sure they get home. We typically bill our customers once a month and they are more than happy to pay for the services they get.

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give a little clarification and a quick rundown about me and what I do now

As for me, personally, I spend most of my time doing custom fabrication, building/maintaining/tuning race cars. Fortunately, I have a great crew working for me that pretty much take care of the boat side of the business. But I cannot get completely away, because I still handle the majority of any issues that make him up.

Thanks

Now that is service, way way above what I would expect!!! You will be a great asset to the crew here!!

[Big Block Power]

Titaniumboy, and just to clarify I was not the service manager at that dealer for two decades. I owned my own business and did a lot of work for the local Cobalt dealer so the owner approached me about running his service department. The business that I owned was primarily doing custom audio/wiring installation in boats. As well as doing custom, fiberglass work, and installing wakeboard towers, etc. I went to work for the dealership as service manager a little over 10 years ago. I “retired” last August to go back to work for myself.

So now I own my own business again. We still do custom, audio and lighting, custom, fiberglass work, I have a detailing crew, and we have a concierge business. I am fortunate to have a good customer base and we basically uncover and wipe down their boats. When they are coming to their Lakehouse, make sure everything mechanically is good, have their boat ready to go with keys in ignition, (sometimes we ice down the coolers ). And then, when the customer is done for the weekend, we pick up their trash, give the boat a quick, wipe down, make sure all the battery switches are turned off, and then cover the boat until they come next time. There are a lot of people who get to spend a very short amount of time at the lake and they do not mind paying to make sure they have zero issues with their boat. They want to step on, use the boat, step off and leave. We are also on call 24/7 so when they’re trying to leave the restaurant/bar at 11 o’clock and I can’t get their boat started, we will go take care of the issue (usually just put the boat in neutral) and make sure they get home. We typically bill our customers once a month and they are more than happy to pay for the services they get.

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give a little clarification and a quick rundown about me and what I do now

As for me, personally, I spend most of my time doing custom fabrication, building/maintaining/tuning race cars. Fortunately, I have a great crew working for me that pretty much take care of the boat side of the business. But I cannot get completely away, because I still handle the majority of any issues that make him up.

Thanks

Now that is service, way way above what I would expect!!! You will be a great asset to the crew here!!

Yes work very simular hobbies and jobs like some of on here
Welcome aboard!

[Modadunn]

A question. We just bought a CS22. A perfect little boat for our lake. In talking to the dealer and configuring the boat he recommended the V8 300hp dual prop. I have about 5 hours on this boat. It is a LOT of engine. But I know you never have to push a throttle although it can be a bit jumpy and with just me in the boat yesterday, my linen shirt took sail. First casualty of the season. But my problem is really that my swim platform is below the waterline. Like ALL the time. We are not on a lift so it’s really all the time. What’s the weight difference between the V6 and V8? He also gave us an anchor too big for the actual anchor storage compartment, saying the anchor that “comes with” wouldn’t hold it on a “day like today” which frankly we would never anchor. We rarely ever anchor except on the calmest of days in a bay. My point is only that we have this anchor in the ski storage thing. Could it be contributing to my submerged swim deck? Most of all, I want a good relationship with this dealer and the Marina. It’s a small community and they will also do our storage etc.