Hey everyone, new guy here from TN. I just picked up a 1995 Cobalt 220 with a Penta 5.8, dual props. Pretty darn good shape, sun pad has some cracking and the bench has 2 tears but the rest of interior is great shape. It came on a Load master trailer, not the original Cobalt trailer. I have a lift at the lake that I will be putting this on and wondered if anyone has the same boat and would be willing the get me some measurements of the trailer bunks so I can make sure its right. Yes I could go by the trailer I have but again its not original and while it rides OK, it doesn't seem to look like a perfect fit on there as with a factory trailer, so I would rather have factory bunk info. Another thing I need is some replacement shocks for the sun pad. Does anyone know the part number or a link to the correct ones needed on a 95? I have all kinds of things I want to do, and questions to ask. It needs a radio and speaker upgrade, it needs SS cup holders (do I go with LED or not?) I want to replace all the gauges in the dash with something more modern. Anyone upgraded theirs? Oh and one other thing....I took the boat for a test run before I bought it. It ran great and came out of the hole great. One thing I noticed though is that it idles around 1300 RPM. Seems like it should idle around 500 or 600, anyone know? It didn't grind going into gear, bu man when you just eased into reverse it would sling you out of the boat if you weren't paying attention lol. Weird thing is that he just had the local marina go through it and change oil, de-winterized, and even lake tested it before I bought it. They made no mention of it.
Welcome to the Forum. I don't have your boat but I can answer some questions for you. Last thing first....You're right, the idle is too high. It is supposed to be set under a load. In other words, tie it up to the dock really good put in forward gear and set the idle to 600-700 RPMs. It should be about 1000 RPMs at idle but the book calls for it to be set under load. This is all assuming there is nothing wrong with the motor, tach, timing, carb, etc. Cup holder lights are a matter of preference. I've had them with and without and while they can be cool you don't want them to "clash" with any other accent lights you may add. As for the other Cobalt-specific parts I would just suggest you contact Cobalt directly or a nearby Cobalt dealer. You might also look at eBay. I did change gauges on my 1985 Cobalt. I removed the old Teleflex gauges and installed a newer set of Faria. There are a bunch of different styles and again, online searches are a good place to start. Have fun.... Shawn
Thanks for the reply. I will have to decide what to do on the idle. I was wondering if I should take to a local marine place that services volvo, or maybe I will just call them first and see what they say about it. I think I agree with you on the cup holder lights, I may skip that. I am going to have LED lights around the speaker rings, not sure about other accent lights yet, trying to see what others have done.
You are welcome. I've set the idle on many boat engines and I gave you the correct process. However, going to a qualified marine mechanic is never a bad idea....unless you go to a bad one. Shawn
Well this is not a carb engine so I am not sure how to adjust the idle, I thought that was all controlled by the ECM? It is the Volvo Penta 5.8 FSI Electronic Fuel Injection engine
Then I stand corrected. I was giving you the procedure for a carbureted engine. I think it may be time to look for a Volvo-Penta technician.
