40 SS With D-6 Volvos
 

Any past or present owners of these birds? Looking for a cruiser, maby a diesel. Comments or suggestions?
Either a diesel (done) or a blown up project boat? Sinker?
Thinking Ilmores or Pfaff 700NA's with Imco's.....Surfacing? Big diameter 5 blade cleavers?

They are surprisingly fast, even with standard power.

I used to run a 400 SS on Lake Superior with standard 496HO and she was great as a high speed cruiser. The diesels would make sense In my opinion. She was very well built but never felt like a boat that wanted to smash through waves or get after things like a go fast would. Not sure I would put huge horsepower in this boat, though I know others have.

If you can live with the hammer down at 52 mph the D6's are a lot quieter and the cruise range of around 350+ miles gives more destination options that you wont reach with the gassers.

I have evolved to the 419 for speed and if i drop the speed then the 400 with diesels.

Go to Youtube and punch the following in. 47' wellcraft with arnesons blasting along at 70mph. There a a bunch of videos on it. Has Mercury 850's in it. Pretty cool to watch a boat of that size moving that fast. Definitely a sleeper!

Formula has already run the 400SS over 70 mph with a pair of 725 Ilmor's. There is youtube video of this too. I think it is Pokerrunboats over the pond who ordered the first one of these and posted up a video at top speed doing a pass by.

Good morning fossil fuel. Formula is doing a new 400SS for a friend of mine that is going to have GM Duramax Diesel. This is the one I mentioned to you that is going to have Konrad drives. I believe the company doing the motors is Performance Diesel out of Webster Tx. I seen a dyno sheet on them and it was very impressive, but I can't find it right now. Im sure you can get one from PD. The guy building the boat doesn't care about top speed, but I would think it would work out really well with a 2 or 3 speed tran. since its hard to get any real rpms out of a diesel. Being that were in the mid west its going to be a while before any testing is done ( not sure if it's even built yet ) but I will keep you up dated when they do.
Also I will keep an eye out for a 400 in this part of the country for you. I would think an early one would work the best since they have a different engine hatch, which gives you more room for different power options. Something else that you might want to think about when you do this project is that we had a new 370SS built and put 380 K-Plans on it. They made a really big difference in the boat. It gets up on plane with no effort at all and rides noticeable better.

That is cool Formula is going to try the Duramax-Konrad combo. I know the military is running this combo suppsedly quite nicely.

Something else that you might want to think about when you do this project is that we had a new 370SS built and put 380 K-Plans on it. They made a really big difference in the boat. It gets up on plane with no effort at all and rides noticeable better.[/QUOTE]

can you shed some light on the "rides noticable better" from installing k planes? im curious the difference in standard tabs compared to k planes.
i use full tab everytime getting on plane. comes on plane quickly with little bow rise. im sitting all the time and dont really looses site of the horizion.
at speed i usually have to run a little starboard tab to keep the boat level.

Any final numbers on this 400SS with the Duramax and Konrads?

The 05 400 SS I bought has D-6 350's. I was really surprised how quickly it jumps on plane. The Duoprop volvos seem to have no prop slip. If the rpm's are up. you are on plane. What a great boat!....

That 400SS is such an awesome boat that I had a very hard time deciding on FASTech or 400SS. I'm loving this 419 FASTech right now but I will evolve into the 400SS later in life; probably well after retirement.

Isn't the D6 350 the same as the D6 370 where the chargers pull while the turbo's spool up then the chargers shut off and the turbo's run up from there? That is so cool to me to have both chargers and turbo's on the same engine.

Yes they are separate but work together. The computer controls the electric clutch on the blower. Sometimes I hear them shut off when getting on plane. Not sure what the criteria is for operation though. Just works!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]551121[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]551122[/ATTACH]

This boat runs in the 80's, high 80's that is with the top up full of fuel. Tracks better, steers better, gets on plane in less than 5 seconds and throws a rooster tail!!

Nuff said!!

So high 80s blows the back seat out of the 400SS?

Nice looking trailer.

High 80's with what other work done besides drives?

[They made a really big difference in the boat. It gets up on plane with no effort at all and rides noticeable better.[/QUOTE]

Would also appreciate your insight with how the 380's improved 37ss ride?

We're wanting to move up to a 400 SS as well. Would like to have one with diesels and surface drives. If someone out there is familiar with this combo I'd like to know more about it.

Have only done a petrol and surface drive to my knowledge.

They removed the Vortec blowers and added Whipples.. Still about 750 hp but more torque with the Whipples

Seems quick https://www.facebook.com/arneson.marine/videos/287382218302591/

RIK, I see that the owner now has his exhaust angled in to the water. Is this because of the surface drives? If so what is the purpose for this change?

quiet At IDLE and off plane ....

Doesn't do anything for the Arnesons.. Just a Noise Suppressor at idle like Moorings pointed out.. I think Gibson was the one that started the trend??

Thank you guys. This boat is of great interest to me. Rik you and I have spoken via e-mail about me setting up my formula 400ss in a similar fashion. I refuse to spend any more money on Bravo's. This boat is running with similar power. You will be hearing from me soon.