Cobalt Boats Forum

Bummer, but I get it - that chrome was never intended to last 20 years (apparently). I used to boat Lake Houston but the iffy water quality drove me to find a cleaner playground. Lake Conroe actually has some of the highest water quality in the state, according to TP&W and other reliable sources. Of ...

Hey 23! Welcome to the site, and congrats on what may be the best boat for the money I've ever seen!
We're out here at Lake Conroe. We bought our 262 about 10 years ago with 410 hours on it for $70K. Like I said, yours was a total steal.
Also - I've spent too many hours trying to restore the chrome ...

I replaced the gas shocks on my aft storage compartments by simply reading the specs off the old ones and matching the length. I've also installed shocks on my motor boxes. For your upgrade I think you could just guesstimate the length you need, making sure the hinges allow and that you're getting ...

We got the new Jasper motor in and it's been running very well. I've put about 10-12 hours on it since it came in - observed the break-in period and then giving it a real workout ever since. It runs very well, the exact same max speed as the last one that broke (55 mph). I'm taking it in this coming ...

Hi guys -
I just spent over $200 on a pair of 3/8" Phender Pro quick-disconnect fender pin/socket sets. I want to install them on the starboard gunwale, near the existing cleats - one midships and one aft. Does anyone know if that's a safe place to drill into the body? I'm concerned because it's ...

Hello and welcome aboard! I've got an '06 262 on one of the busiest lakes on the planet, Lake Conroe near Houston. On weekends and holidays we get 2-3' chop every which way from noon til 6pm (thanks, wakeboarders!). We started out with a lighter 23' boat but we got beat to death. Our 262 weighs in ...

Apologies all - For some reason when I pull up "Your Posts" I don't see any of your or my posts on this thread after March. So, I posted essentially the same thing a second time. But when I accessed my post through one of your user names the full thing popped up, current to today. So here I am ...

If you're a DIYer you might be surprised that this can be fixed at home. I'm a YouTube addict and I've watched several excellent tutorials on fiberglass and gelcoat repair. I can't claim any personal experience, all my damage has been gelcoat only, but I'd certainly recommend watching a couple of ...

Hey billk - I've got an update that will blow your mind: about a month ago the guys at Rinker finished swapping out the old engine, installed a new (Jasper Marine rebuilt) and I was a happy camper - for 5 hours of boating time. I minded the hours of break-in time, had some fun, and a couple of weeks ...

Appreciate the comments, billk. So here's an update for you: I got the boat back with the new (rebuilt) Jasper Marine engine and it ran great - for about 5 hours. After carefully observing the break-in time and then running it around the lake at varying speeds I got a vicious knocking sound - about ...

Update: after one month in the shop I finally heard from the service manager that they had exhausted all options, and realized they needed a special tool to test the pump system (suspect somewhere in the drive system for the pump). They then came back and said probably a bearing, will need to send ...

Update: My Cobalt's been in the shop since February 15th, so over a month. They've eliminated simple fixes like the sender, the oil pump, or other things. Their current analysis says it's a bearing that's preventing the pump from pumping. So the engine has to go out to a marine engine rebuilder to ...

Thanks billk, I really appreciate all the feedback and advice. I decided it was just too big a job for an inexperienced mechanic like myself. I'm taking it in to Rinker, the largest dealer/service center on this lake. Apparently the $615 is an estimate and none of it is due up front. So, I should ...

jwill - The engine did not shut down, just beeped. We were able to drive home, fortunately only 100 yards.

All - The engine that was put in after the freeze was rebuilt by Jasper Marine. I talked to Jasper (great guys, very helpful) and they suggested that it might be the "oil pump drive". It sits ...

billk - Thanks so much for the very complete response and suggestions. I will check with my mechanic again about how he ran the test, but he's been a Volvo guy for 20 years and is actually the guy who installed this engine when it was new (he used to work for the now-defunct marine repair shop). He ...