Engine & Drive
The 260 Sundancer is a single-engine sterndrive boat: a MerCruiser fuel-injected (MPI) V8 mated to a MerCruiser Bravo drive. This page covers what the package is and where to find the service documentation. For the time-based service routine, see the Maintenance Schedule.
The Engine: MerCruiser V8
Most 260s ran a gasoline MerCruiser stern drive — a marinized General Motors V8. The standard engine was the fuel-injected 5.0L EFI (240 hp); optional gas engines went up to the 7.4L MPI (310 hp) and MX 6.2L (320 hp), and two diesels were also offered. See the full list on the Specifications page. The gas V8s share the same basic architecture, so most service procedures are common across them.
- Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection (EFI/MPI) with an electric fuel pump.
- Ignition: Distributor or distributorless depending on build; controlled by the engine's ECM (PCM).
- Cooling: Raw-water (open) cooling standard; closed (fresh-water) cooling was an option. Know which you have — it changes winterizing.
- Drive-by-cable throttle/shift through the MerCruiser Commander control at the helm.
The Drive: MerCruiser Bravo
The drive depends on how the boat was ordered. The standard 5.0L EFI came on a Bravo Two (a single large-diameter prop, good for load-carrying); the optional larger engines came on a Bravo Three, which turns two counter-rotating props on concentric shafts for extra bite when backing and holding. Check the tag on your drive to confirm which you have.
- Bravo Two: single prop — simpler, one prop and set of hardware to maintain.
- Bravo Three: dual counter-rotating props that cancel steering torque and grip hard in reverse.
- Gear lube in the drive, monitored by a clear reservoir under the engine hatch — watch it for milky color (water intrusion).
- Sacrificial anodes on the drive protect against galvanic corrosion — a wear item, especially in salt water.
- Bellows and gimbal bearing behind the transom are periodic-replacement items.