Last weekend was running the boat and it really screamed - 2000 Cobalt 226 with 7.4 Bravo 3. All of a sudden there was a loss of power - but the engine was still purring! Towed it back to shore and just couldn't get it in gear--- Nothing. Dropped it off at the marina and the splines are "stripped". It looks like the front engine mount may have gotten loose and the prior owner may have tightened it without realizing that he was affecting the alignment. Long and short the engine is going to get pulled and new engine and outdrive splines replace.

My question-- beside checking alignment every year is there anything that I should be looking for so that I don't have this issue again. The boat is beautiful and when I was running it I got a solid 62 mph.

Is there anything else the marina should be looking at while they got everything out?

thanks

3pointstar

Ditch the bravo 3, no need for it on that boat, you will pick up a few mph. While its apart do the bellows and gimble bearing.

The 226's are often times used a tow boat. The B3 provides that low end "bite" and holds it on plane better than a B1 would. If he's hitting 62mph with the B3, I'd suggest to NOT change it out. If you want to go faster, get boat better suited for speed and not all around use-ability.

3pointstar - it's good practice to have the drive removed, u-joints lubed and alignment checked every other year or so.

Dear Holy Smokes-- like the name!

thanks for the response. we have enjoyed the boat beyond belief - it really does a wonderful job and the bravo 3 for docking and slow speeds is great. At WOT I tried to get some prop blow out and couldn't get it to do it- it was like driving a car on rails. Our prior boat - don't laugh was a 1977 Browning tri-hull (it is for sale and is all original with approximately 630 hours on a straight 6 cylinder 165hp mercruiser) was nice but the cobalt is a quantum jump. Our daughter in her first ride said it was like floating on a cloud over the wave - and she was right. If there is one thing that I've learned - is that every 100 hours or so it is best to take the boat in and have the marina give it the once over. Our prior boat had the engine aligned once at 20 years when the u joint was replaced.

take care

3pointstar