Trade a Boat Reviews the Volvo Penta D6-440

Volvo Penta D6-440A Review 

When repowering a motor yacht, there is a lot to consider. What it costs to repower a boat, running costs, performance, servicing and support. Get it all right and your boating will be better. 

That would be a 440hp variant of the popular D6 engine marine engine.

The D6 is a 5.5L in-line six-cylinder turbo diesel with a cast iron block, double-overhead camshafts (DOHC), and common rail fuel injection. It can be had from 300 to 480 crank-horsepower. The D6 engine, together with the popular D4 is the only engine designed from the ground up solely for marine use, it is not found anywhere else in the Volvo Group range. It was released in the early 2000s as the replacement for the venerable KAD300. 

How good is the Volvo Penta D6 engine?

By all accounts, it's great. It is very popular in commercial, enforcement and private usage with it seen in a lot of European motor yachts between 40 and 50 feet like the excellent Beneteau GT45. Locally, it is found standard in the Riviera 395 SUV and we’ve seen it in Police boats including the recently launched police vessels from renowned Brisbane builders Norman Wright and Sons. 

What drive units work with the Volvo D6?

In the Noosa Cat seen here, the drives were Aquamatic DPI Sterndrives. You can also order the D6 with IPS Drives and for shaft drive. With the IPS, you should see the best fuel efficiency with the shaft drive a close second however, for easy installation and in most repowers, you’re likely to want the DPI for its layout and weight distribution. 

If you want to read about a repower with an IPS system and Volvo D6 370hp engines, you can here Volvo Penta D6 IPS Installation 

What Systems and Accessories go with the Volvo D6?

The best, and most noteworthy are Volvo’s excellent EVC system that combines engine control with thrusters, steering systems and engine vitals for an all-in-one boat control system and DPS, their GPS-based location holding system.

What is Volvo Penta EVC?

Pretty simple really, it is Electronic Vessel Control, Volvo Penta’s way of linking and controlling all vital components of the boat's driveline into an easy-to-use and install package. 

It allows users to link electronic binnacles to their engine, MFD, thrusters, steering, engine gauges and a range of other sensors and controls ultimately giving the user the ability to monitor vitals and control every aspect of boat handling from the helm. 

Using it is intuitive and with upgrades like Joystick Docking and DPS (Digital Positioning System) it takes away the stress of single-handingly controlling vessels like this 4100 Noosa. 

The DPS and Josystick add functionality like reduced throttle sensitivity which is especially handy in docking and when navigating in close proximity to other boats and objects. 

What is DPS?

That's Volvo Penta’s take on a GPS-based location holding system. Using high-frequency GPS aerials and tying into EVC, DPS will use your vessels' engines, steering angle and trusters (if fitted) to hold position. 

The benefits are wide-ranging but are most popular for fishing. It is great when wanting to hold position over a bait school or underwater structure that you plan to fish. It is also handy when retrieving fish or setting lines as the skipper can confidently leave the helm knowing the boat will hold its spot in the water, even in fairly rough seas. 

DPS is also very useful when docking or setting fenders. If you are running single-handedly, being able to hold positions just outside your marina to set fenders and lines is fantastic. It takes the stress out of fearing you’ll drift.  

Who can I talk to about repowering with a Volvo Penta D6? 

If you are in Queensland or Papua New Guinea, it is Seamech. If you are looking from somewhere else, you can find retailers and support from Volvo Penta’s excellent website  

Who is Seamech then and why use them?

Seamech are a bunch of boating enthusiasts that happen to not only retail and service Volvo Penta but also a range of other brands including Kohler generators. As the distributing Dealer for Volvo Penta in Queensland and Papua New Guinea, they manage the Volvo Penta Dealer network in these regions. Beyond that, they are also experts in planning builds and rebuilds. 

What Support and Warranty is there on the D6?

Buying through Seamech, you’ll get support from their in-house planning and service team and from Volvo Penta, the warranty depends on the use of the engines. 

For private users, like the owner of the Noosa Cat here, the warranty is two years or 2000hrs on the full driveline (DPS included) and five years or 2000hrs on the major components like the cylinder head, block, DPI castings etc. Extended warranty options are available for purchase. You can see all of the warranty details here.

For Commercial users, it is a bit different with 12 months or 1000hrs promised. For accessories, it varies but is typically 12 months.

Volvo Penta also offer a comprehensive spare parts warranty, parts purchased off the shelf will come with 12 12-month warranty, and spare parts supplied and fitted by a Volvo Penta Dealer come with a 24-month warranty which includes labour and extends to consequential damage.

How did the Repowered Noosacat perform with the Volvo Penta D6?

Pretty well. The engines ran smoothly, as you’d expect from a six-cylinder and in terms of fuel efficiency, they really impressed given the hefty 11,000kg catamaran they were pushing. 

Sea Trials: Twin Volvo Penta D6-440A in a Noosa Cat 4100 Deluxe

We ran the Noosa Cat off in Mooloolaba Bay a couple of hours north of Brisbane. The conditions were not perfect with a rolling 1-1.5m swell and a 10-20kt on-shore breeze. 

We ran side-on to the wind, both with and against the seas to get the average of two runs seen below. 

On board, we had seven people, a half load of fuel (~1000L) and some supplies. We estimated a displacement of 11,000kg. 

I suggest the best fast-cruise is in the region of 2250-2350rpm evident by the engines consuming a combined 40L/hr. If you were looking for maximum range, at idle or just above, offers nearly 2000Nm of range with ten per cent fuel in reserve. 

Flat out we saw more than 36kts in one run with the average of the two runs 35.1kt, a massive step up on the previous best the boat ran of around 22kts. 

Not only was the WOT speed impressive, but look at the fuel consumption and consider how they compare to one of the best-performing outboards in the supercharged, in-line six-cylinder Mercury Verado. For its power, the 350hp Verado is widely seen as one of the most fuel-efficient engines around running two on a significantly lighter Axopar 37 Suntop monohull and the Volvo’s were 30% more efficient. 

Looking at efficiency comparison in lower RPM is futile as the hulls and conditions are so wildly different but at WOT, the Volvos and Mercs are doing their best to turn as much fuel as they can swallow into momentum and right there is a big reason inboards are still so popular in bigger hulls. 

Noise Vibration and Harshness 

There is an inherent balance in the crankshaft of a four-stroke in-line six-cylinder that makes them less prone to vibration and harshness and this is what we felt on the Noosa. 

The engines fired up with a solid initial crank and then settled into a smooth and quiet idle. Playing with the throttle while under load you could make out the turbo spinning up to give boost to the engine which was kind of fun. 

In terms of insulation or noise suppression, there was practically none with a fibreglass hatch the only cover to the engines and a through-hull exhaust dampening sound there. For what were hardly insulated engines in a fibreglass hull, they really are very quiet underway. 

So how much does it cost to install a pair of Volvo Penta D6’s with DPI Drives?

That's a hard one and I know you hate not getting a single number but it's so dependent on what you do yourself. 

The owner of this 4100 did almost everything himself (with lots of help from his best mates). This included pulling the boat onto the hard, craning the old engines and drives out, rebuilding the engine and DPI cradles and installing the D6s. The team also ran the easy-to-install wiring for the throttle and connected up the EVC to their existing MFD. 

Commissioning was by Seamech who thoroughly checked engine health through their internal diagnostics systems as well as helped the owner with the somewhat tricky design and build of the transom. As they learned in the build, the angels both vertically and horizontally matter a lot. 

We did ask Seamech what the cost of the engines is and at the time of writing, a D6-440A, DPI combo was around $200,000. This includes everything you need to install and fire up an engine with gearbox seals, throttle, gauges, wiring harnesses, exhaust risers and more included. 

Putting a wet finger to the sky and guessing the cost for a Volvo Penta Dealer to also install a D6 into your hull and you’re likely looking at somewhere between $10,000 and $30,000. Why the big range? If you need new bearers, stringers engine room exhausting can add a lot of labour and materials whereas a simple build might not - you really need to have Seamech take a look at your hull to get a firmer idea of the cost. 

The Wrap: What we think of the D6 Repowered Noosa 4100

I like it. I appreciate the smoothness of the D6, I love the powerful DPS system and how EVC allows all engine data to be seen on your main MFD. I do look at the price and wince a little knowing a high-end outboard like the recently released V10 Verado is in the region of $60,000 before costly hull modifications and labour and I know they’ll burn close to twice the fuel under hard usage so over time, the Volvo’s will be more cost-effective. 

If I was repowering a hull capable of taking the D6’s weight and power, I’d have it high on my list. 

Key Specifications: Volvo D6-440A

• Crankshaft power 324Kw (440hp)
• Engine displacement 5.50L (335.6ci)
• Engine configuration in line 6
• Turbo, after cooler
• Dry weight Bobtail, 625kg (1378lb)
• Voltage 12V or 24V
• Emission compliance IMO NOx, EU RCD Stage II, US EPA Tier 3

How to Contact Seamech

Phone (07) 3890 7615

Web seamech.com.au

Location Unit 3/17 Alexandra Pl, Murarrie QLD 4172