Questions on buying an older 252

[Born2burn]

I'm looking at fresh water always stored inside, clean 1995 252 with the 502 and Bravo 3. Looks like its been well cared for, however it also has 500hrs on the clock. Thoghts on the 502 paired with the Bravo 3 come to mind. I would have thought a performance engine of that era would have had the Bravo 1 but this type of boat is new to me. I've always liked the Cobalt looks, and feel it would be a great family boat here in the PNW. Any thoughts and concerns on this package would would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance! Glad I found this board.

[Dhooghe81]

They were offered with either Bravo drive I believe. If it checks out visually and mechanically, I wouldn't be afraid of it. The 252 is a solid performer, I'd venture to say you'll see mid to upper 50s.

[Born2burn]

Any concerns on the hours if it was regularly maintained?

[jhnmdahl]

500 hours isn't enough to be worried about, but you can always check cylinder compression (or ask a shop to do it) pretty easily if you want some additional peace of mind before pulling the trigger. I'd seriously consider having a Cobalt shop or a Mercury shop go trough it before buying it anyway just to avoid surprises.


John

[AsLan7]

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So glad you found us B2b...

We had a Fountain with that era 502. The engine and drive were a solid performer with the Bravo 1. The Bravo 3 drive can have a weak point with higher horsepower (>400) engines in the upper unit gear set. Merc came out with the Bravo 3x which alleviated that weakness. The upper gear set of the 3x also includes Steel Chimney Bearing Supports and a Reinforced Ribbed Top Cap over the normal Bravo 3. If you have the x it will be marked near the top of the drive normally with a decal which has a red "X".

A Simrek Drive Shower is definitely recommended as the Bravo drives run hot with the higher horsepower engines. It will extend the longevity of it and it's an easy inexpensive upgrade. We added one to ours.

Like JMD said regarding hours, I would not be too concerned. That is fairly low. Normally 50 hours a year is equivalent to approximately 10-12,000 miles on a car. Your boat has 500 hours which is very low compared to a 1400 hour boat of that time frame which would be average. Hydraulic cam versus solid lifters also became a concern with the 502 back in that era. Not sure which one you have but something to be aware of with the 502 MPI's.

Any pics?

And welcome aboard mate!

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[AsLan7]

thanks buddy.
One of my favorite engines of all time from Merc (other than the blue series )