D4-D6 Exhausts

[spannerman]

Yet another round of warranty claims for Volvo, now D4 and D6 exhaust downpipes are corroding and are being replaced, its only on certain serial serial numbers that are affected but we have over 100 boats to do in our area alone. Volvo say it takes 6 hrs, ha,ha!
We had a Sealine 34 last year and we used 14hrs per side as access was very bad.
It involves disconnecting enough items to allow the engine to be slide forward about 20cm so the mechanic can replace the downpipe at the rear of the engine. Great if you can take the weight of the engine with a crane or forklift, but if the engine goes under the deck as in Windys and other boats then its tricky supporting the rear while you slide it forward. We made up a tube that fits to a small forklift with half a U/J coupling welded to it so it slides onto the splined shaft coming through the transom and we just take the weight and push the engine forward enough to get access.
The new type downpipe had a big anode fitted just below the rubber bellows at the top.
My advice to engineers if a Windy 35 with two D4's comes in is throw a sicky, or grease the apprentice so you can slide him down the side of the engine!
They are a nightmare to work on if there is an anchor winch, and the port engine is impossible to work on as its so close to the starboard engine.

 

[volvopaul]

Yet another round of warranty claims for Volvo, now D4 and D6 exhaust downpipes are corroding and are being replaced, its only on certain serial serial numbers that are affected but we have over 100 boats to do in our area alone. Volvo say it takes 6 hrs, ha,ha!
We had a Sealine 34 last year and we used 14hrs per side as access was very bad.
It involves disconnecting enough items to allow the engine to be slide forward about 20cm so the mechanic can replace the downpipe at the rear of the engine. Great if you can take the weight of the engine with a crane or forklift, but if the engine goes under the deck as in Windys and other boats then its tricky supporting the rear while you slide it forward. We made up a tube that fits to a small forklift with half a U/J coupling welded to it so it slides onto the splined shaft coming through the transom and we just take the weight and push the engine forward enough to get access.
The new type downpipe had a big anode fitted just below the rubber bellows at the top.
My advice to engineers if a Windy 35 with two D4's comes in is throw a sicky, or grease the apprentice so you can slide him down the side of the engine!
They are a nightmare to work on if there is an anchor winch, and the port engine is impossible to work on as its so close to the starboard engine.

Hi spanner man, I just turned down a same job on a sealine s41, local vp dealer did it in the end but it looks like the jobs been going on for weeks now, ill send you a pm for your private email as I have a pic of a tool that's bang on for supporting the rear end not on the driveshaft either and no need for a forklift or any other lifting device should the lift not be available.

On subject of restricted engine bays, I have recently replaced the sump pan on a kad43 sealine s37 with the engine in the boat as it was impossible to remove the engine without drastic grp surgery which of course all adds to the bill. I know what you mean about the windys, the engine bay isn't good, the best one I've worked on recently is the khamsin 34 with kad300 in , an absolute delight , owned by tetleys off this forum.

Volvo have dropped a real good one with this down pipe issue, I wonder how long it will be before there paying out big bucks on a sinker!

All this recycled metal I'd say is to blame as the old style dpe didn't suffer as early on in life as theses have.

 

[acbruce]

Is this only with sterndrives or are shaft drive boats a problem too? What age are included? I have D6-310s; should I be worried?

 

[volvopaul]

Minicoy is shaft drive you have nothing to worry about , it's a sterndrive issue.

 

[spannerman]

Its within these serial numbers on sterndrive boats only. If your transom shield is partially above the waterline you are not affected by this campaign, but if the transom shield is fully submersed you need to get the exhaust checked.

DPH 2004015848 - 2004033937
2006020777 - 2006041849
A153126 _ A209119

DPH 400 - D4 - D6
2006041419
2006041420
A169163 - A195917

 

[acbruce]

Thanks for the reassuarnce Paul

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Its within these serial numbers on sterndrive boats only. If your transom shield is partially above the waterline you are not affected by this campaign, but if the transom shield is fully submersed you need to get the exhaust checked.

DPH 2004015848 - 2004033937
2006020777 - 2006041849
A153126 _ A209119

DPH 400 - D4 - D6
2006041419
2006041420
A169163 - A195917

Thanks for this Spannerman, good of you to post up the detail. Those are engine numbers, right (as opposed to drive numbers)?

I've got D6's on outdrives, but I don't appear to be in the campaign range, thankfully.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[Andrew38]

Its within these serial numbers on sterndrive boats only. If your transom shield is partially above the waterline you are not affected by this campaign, but if the transom shield is fully submersed you need to get the exhaust checked.

DPH 2004015848 - 2004033937
2006020777 - 2006041849
A153126 _ A209119

DPH 400 - D4 - D6
2006041419
2006041420
A169163 - A195917

Sorry to be thick spannerman, but as my engines & sterndrives fall into one of the categories how do you define "transom shield partially above the waterline"?

Should I be getting the local VP dealer to inspect them as they are still in warranty and the boat goes to Spain in about 10 weeks?



Thanks for posting such valuable information!

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Sorry to be thick spannerman, but as my engines & sterndrives fall into one of the categories how do you define "transom shield partially above the waterline"?

Should I be getting the local VP dealer to inspect them as they are still in warranty and the boat goes to Spain in about 10 weeks?

Thanks for posting such valuable information!

If there's doubt, there is no doubt. I was in at SSL today (if they are still your local dealer) and they are all there inc Lee - I'd suggest just calling them anyway.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[Andrew38]

If there's doubt, there is no doubt. I was in at SSL today (if they are still your local dealer) and they are all there inc Lee - I'd suggest just calling them anyway.

Cheers
Jimmy

Thanks Jimmy - I'm down in Sovereign now but it's still SSL

 

[Andrew38]

I love this forum!

Just spoken to SSL who confirm that my engines are subject to the campaign and the process has started! Spannerman I owe you, if you're near Sant Carles or Leeds......


In case it helps anyone else....

Apparently if your engines are in the campaign VP are paying for the dealer to go on board to inspect the engines

 

[LionsDen]

I love this forum!

Just spoken to SSL who confirm that my engines are subject to the campaign and the process has started! Spannerman I owe you, if you're near Sant Carles or Leeds......


In case it helps anyone else....

Apparently if your engines are in the campaign VP are paying for the dealer to go on board to inspect the engines

Good to see this forum works with us all looking out for each other

 

[rubberduck]

What date range are these engines, mine are 3 & a bit years old, would they be affected ?

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

What date range are these engines, mine are 3 & a bit years old, would they be affected ?

Mine are older than yours, and seemingly not affected. At the risk of stating the obvious, best thing to do is check your serial numbers; if you're not near the boat you should see them on the first sales invoice for the boat, if you have a copy of that?

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[shetland]

Has this been posted on the Volvo website in the re-calls section - has anyone checked?

 

[Bandit]

I am aware of the issue of corrosion of exhaust horns in some D4 and D6 outdrive packages.

Corrosion in outdrive horns of older boats say 10 years old and older is equally an issue and is forgotten and difficult to see unless you remove the engine and the horn, with the cost of that operation replacemnt of the horn and the sumps as a premptive strike anyway, makes a lot of sense.

 

[spannerman]

In reply to the various questions raised, here in Norway we are fixing boats back to 2007 as we have a 5 yr rule covering warranty claims, not sure about the UK.
Regarding the transom shield height, it has to do with where the water line is at rest in the downpipe, if you have a riser on your exhaust its because the shield is fully submerged so the water is over the top of the pipe somewhere in the rubber bellows and its the top of the downpipe which rots so obviously water will flood in once it starts to leak. Lighter boats with the stern sitting higher will have the waterline somewhere down the downpipe below the top so aren't affected.
I went to a Princess V42 on the way home today to check the engine numbers, this boat has the waterline level with the top of the shield and therefore has risers so will need new downpipes. Sadly he's going to get a big bill also as its been down to -12C and the engine room tube heater wasn't working and I could see through the glass seawater filter tops that the seawater was frozen, and all the hoses containing seawater were rock hard all the way up to the seawater pump and on to the various coolers. The D series combined heat exchanger and oil cooler cracks very easily as the end cover is plastic and it usually takes out the cooler matrix, having done a few of these over the years and it hasn't been so cold as now, so I wonder how many more boats are freezing up in their marinas.

 

[spannerman]

Sorry to be thick spannerman, but as my engines & sterndrives fall into one of the categories how do you define "transom shield partially above the waterline"?

Should I be getting the local VP dealer to inspect them as they are still in warranty and the boat goes to Spain in about 10 weeks?

View attachment 27588

Thanks for posting such valuable information!

In your pic I see that your waterline is level with the top of the shield, where the antifouling ends, I am pretty sure you will have risers on the exhaust bend, ( it goes up and over in a loop then down and has a grey insulation jacket around it,) if so you need to talk to your dealer.

 

[LionsDen]

In reply to the various questions raised, here in Norway we are fixing boats back to 2007 as we have a 5 yr rule covering warranty claims, not sure about the UK.

5 year rule covering warranty claims in Norway - sounds like we all need to move our boats over to you guys

Thanks for assisting us in Good old Blighty Spannerman much appreciated on behalf of all forumites

Warranties in the UK generally expires when the cheque has unfortunatelly cleared

On a positive front - fit for purpose rings a bell!!!

God these smilies are absolutelly carp ;-) that's better

 

[GrahamHR]

Not meant as a petrol vs diesel bashing post !

I'm still running a 2004 petrol 5.7GXi with a DPS drive. Super reliable, nothing expensive has gone wrong. My mind was at one time clear, my next step up would be a boat with D4 or D6 with a DPH drive or drives , or even an early IPS boat . Are these really so much worse in terms of failures compared to what I have now ? Am I better off getting another petrol powered boat, in terms of likely overall costs ?