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It seems like everyone(but me)on this board has a Racor inline fuel filter. Are they OE from Catalina or everyone did replace their original with the Racor? I have a Dahl #61 which has a transparent plastic fuel bowl with the filter element inside.

my NEW M25XPB engine

Ron

I tend to use the term convoluted, but GOOFY is much better.

Do you rip out the XPB solenoid and that little 10a non-compliant circuit breaker and the whole shebang when you rewired? 

Did you trash the extension oil hose fo the 2=terminal N/O switch and put the 1 terminal N/C oil switch right on the block?

say someone wanted to add the solenoid to the engine (for whichever reason), but also wanted to regulate the voltage from the solenoid down to 10.5v for the plugs.  any recommendations on a component to add?

md

One would need to at least put a power resistor in the circuit that would take say, 2 volts off the supply (which is what Kubota did with a "preheat indicator" and a preheat timer on these engines in tractors -- which was essentially a  resistor coil that glowed to indicate that the preheat was energized while it also reduced the voltage. 

But that's not a voltage regulator (if the btty voltage varied.)

BUT, I can't fathom why someone would want to do that - raise the supply voltage only to then drop the voltage by introducing another component that could fail. 

It's the same voltage plug, OEM or replacement -- that's why Kubota uses the resistance coil!! 

I'll say it again, with the relatively few preheats on our engines, the V isn't that big a deal.  It's the fact that we should keep things as simple as possible to do the job needed.  We don't need a solution in search of a problem that isn't a problem.

Jim, FYI my M25 has no interest in firing up unless it gets some glow plug lovin' first.

I don't want to add fuel to this heated debate.  But, After sitting for a couple of days, temp in the 60s, Shamrock started up in less than 2 seconds.  That's one Mississippi, two Missi..started.  I'm just saying, perhaps some engines will start just fine without heating the glow plugs except in cold weather.  If more cranking would be required would begin using the glow plugs.
Your Boat Your Choice.
Jim

in the same vein, lets say someone wanted to add the solenoid to the engine (for whichever reason), but also wanted to regulate the voltage from the solenoid down to 10.5v for the plugs.  any recommendations on a component to add?

I'd measure voltage at the plugs first then add a longer wire, possibly to the panel and back to reduce the voltage to 10.5v. lol

i've read through this thread with interest as i will add a solenoid to my engine when i rewire it over the winter.  seemed like a good idea.  i can't say for sure one way or another, but the 10.5v requirement is something i don't understand.

i can see the NGK-Y103V replacement plug mentioned does seem to list 10.5v in it's specs.  i unfortunately can't find the spec for the OEM plugs that came with my engine (and are still in it).  I'm wondering if the universal glow plugs are actually higher voltage.  and since most people haven't changed out there glow plugs, that might explain why those that have done the solenoid mod haven't blow out their plugs

it seems odd to me to add a component to a system that requires a max voltage that is far below normal battery voltage, but doesn't include some sort of a voltage regulator to ensure it doesn't exceed the spec.  relying on a voltage drop over then length of cable is fine, but i think we can do better.  in the same vein, lets say someone wanted to add the solenoid to the engine (for whichever reason), but also wanted to regulate the voltage from the solenoid down to 10.5v for the plugs.  any recommendations on a component to add?

Ken : You need to remember that I've been talking about the glow plug mod. in only the M25/M25XP engines.  I don't know of any one that installed that glow plug mod back in the early 1990s has ever had a failure?!?
 
As C34 Mainsheet tech editor I had one hell of a time figuring out what Westerbeake had done to the M35 engine?  The 2 prong oil switch??? had us baffled for awhile!!   

In fact when I installed my NEW M25XPB engine, I took all of that old mod (+ the single pole oil switch) from the old engine and installed it all on the new engine.  It all is still going 24 years later !!!!
I just couldn't stand the thought of that goofy glow plug, fuel pump, oil pressure "Lashup" that they installed on the M35BC and M25XPB engines. That's why I removed it!!   
Don't know how many posts and questions have come up over that GOOFY "Lashup"; which is NOT necessary as the C34 engine will still keep running even if the fuel pump fails ANYWAY!!!!!

A few thoughts

Question to those who have made the solenoid conversion.  Have you burned out any glow plugs since doing the mod?

No, maybe 20 years ago, at least 15.

PS:  If anyone has other "Catalina Factory Issued Mods, Fixes, Construction Details, other documents" that I can post on the Wiki, please email them or point me to them and I'll get them up on that page.

-k

@Dave:  Done. Posted

Actually for ease in management/updating, I had previously started posting those type documents on the "CTY Manuals" Wiki page:  "Catalina Factory Issued Mods, Fixes, Construction Details, other documents" -- so it is there. 
But I also added a link to those type documents under "Hull".

https://c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Hull

@Kyle

You bring up a very good point. I alluded to it (w/Ron’s 30sec vs 3sec,) but didn’t give it enough spotlight. If one had slow preheating and did a harness upgrade and the same time (quite likely I’d imagine) installed the preheat mod, one could very easily conclude that cheap, $25 mod was “necessary.” 
But we know that Correlation doesn’t prove causation.

As you did, upgrading the harness and getting everything up to snuff — maybe just maybe a mod isn’t “necessary” (except say for extreme temperature locations.)

@mark

I’d suspect that they would degrade more rapidly over time, not completely fail at once.  But as I pointed out it’s not that huge an issue for us due to the relatively few times our engines are preheated (say compared to an automobile or truck or construction equipment) over a year.

I didn’t get into these weeds, but since at least some find a technical discussion worthwhile here’s some tidbits. NGK has told me it has ceramic plugs much more resilient to over-voltage/over-current. Also that it has developed self-regulating plugs (so instead of a resistance box externally as Kubota installs,) the plug itself controls overheating when it gets over voltaged.

No, neither series are available to replace the Y-103V plug.