OKNOW
The first thing you want to check is the lube, that unit should use the GL-5 Synthetic, if you or someone has put thin or regular lube in it it will shift harder, next check & make sure the props are tight ! The last thing is the shift shoe may need adjusted on the drive.Remeber the Stainless steel props will clunk a little louder than alum. props.We have had a few units in that ran the wrong lubes and had to repair the cone clutchs.

Thanks for the advice! I did replace the lube and made sure I used VP's GL-5 lube. However, I don't know what lube the previous owner used. I think I understand how to adjust the shift shoe. Can you give me some guidance on determining it the cone clutch is bad? Thank you again.

Been a while for me they made me get out of the shop several years ago, Get a copy of the Volvo service manual , I found out when I started turning a wrench in 68 that the manual will always be the best place to start a project when you want to do it right.
That being said, there are a couple of things to look at, pull he shift housing out & check it for wear in the detent area, also look at the shift shoe itself for wear, there are washers behind the shift linkage that are increased or deleted to set the adjustment. Our guys do this by setting them up & shifting by hand (turning the props )
Hope this helps.

For what it's worth ... When I bought my boat new in '98, I specifically chose the Volvo I/O (4.3 V6 w/SX drive) because it shifted easier and quieter than the Mercury combo (same engine). The Merc. shook the entire boat but, the Volvo has a slight "seat of the pants" thunk in fwd or reverse. It doesn't bother me because it lets me know it's fully in gear. No change in operation in almost 9 years ... still running great.

My '05 DP has had a solid clunk to it since delivery. It hasn't changed any and doesn't *seem* to hurt anything.

I dug up this thread because I have developed a delay in having the drive engage in forward. Now, I'm more concerned because as I mentioned before I have ZERO clunk. Instead I can't hear or feel a thing. The only thing that tells me its in gear is the feeling of moving foward. I thought smooth was a good thing but now I'm worried that my clutch or something is going??

What's the issue when you have no clunk?

Signed, Clunkless in Cincinnati?