TE/TC new head installed

I just received my slavens s3 mule head. I put the new head, orings, and iridium plug. I didn't get a chance to ride it but I can't wait.

Hellz ya! Ride it man. The blue is some nice bling. Do you need to set the squish and all that? Idk so I'm asking... I'm a 2t noob. Things were easier back in 79 which is the last time I was inside a 2 stroke engine...

Lol I don't know much about the squish or anything either, I was always a 4 stroke guy. I did a bit of research before buying the head and nobody said anything. I just got home and got the bike together. Still didn't ride it but my bike no longer starts with the electric start. You can hear that the motor has more compression there for the started and or battery does not have the power to start it. It did start on the first kick tho. I'm going to take it out for a spin after dinner

I watched the install video from slavens last night. No mention of any clearance checks there either. Remove old head, install new head. Ride. Pretty easy. I don't ride at elevation above 1500' so I'd probably just do the standard low elevation mule head for 160. The blue looks good though. Enjoy

Reference KTM talk 2T forum. Lots of good threads on the subject. And yes the Z dimension is very important. Set with the gaskets.

Yes, you don't want the piston hitting the head, or too much compression, or it'll cause detonation, even with high octane fuel. I assume the high comp heads use the same Z dimension as a KTM head, and as the squish is closer, there is more chance of things going wrong if Z is out.

I rode today and it seemed to be idling high. I am NOT a car guy at all but my guess is it is running rich. Nobody ever said anything to me about the squish or the jetting. I just emailed Jeff at Slavens and ask him if I need to change the squish and/or the jetting

No mention of any clearance checks on Slavens website video. They claim it's a direct replacement for stock.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rest27YHIBE

Did you happen to do before and after compression checks? It must have really raised compression to make the electric start not work.

I'd have the head off again and check clearance off squish. It may be the starter can't cope as the piston is hitting the head. I would have thought the instructions assume the engine bottom end is set up bang on, which if it's just a head change, they should be.

For you guys that are looking at the S3 head, I recommend you check out RK-Tek head. It also a two piece head but unlike the S3 that is a generic head, they machine the head to your needs. They ask you when you order the head what type of riding you do, type of terrain, altitude and what gas you will be using. I had my RK-Tek head set up for high altitude and race gas. I'm very happy how the bike lugs like a tractor and pulls hard into mid and top. They also recommend using the Vforce 4 reeds for improved performance. I have not got the Vforce 4 reeds yet but I do have a SmartCarb and SX300 cdi and the bike is a beast.(14 TE300) I chose this head as they custom set it up and wow they did good.

I believe "X" Dimension is what your talking about. "Z" dimension is a Power Valve measurement....

I think it needs to be rejetted. Seems to be real lean

The weather has a big effect. I just jetted my bike richer, going to try it out tomorrow morning.

Just saying, the bike wouldnt run if the piston hit the head.
And the piston would not stand for that abuse for more than a few seconds before it grenades

I had a CB650 which had a horrible ticking sound, I had the top end off to replace the rings, as it was burning oil, and found one of the pistons had been put in backwards, and was hitting the inlet valve, and had been like this for thousands of miles! The crown was slightly dented round the exhaust cut out on the piston, but I put in a new set of rings, turned the piston round, and rode the bike for severeal more thousands of miles before I sold it.

Thats an inline 4 if you removed a piston it would probably run.

Ok on a std 2 smoke single cylinder smart ass, i bet it wouldnt run.
Happy now?

I run the s3 head on my te250 14' and just put a new gasket on otherwise everything was bolt on no other adjustments I run the the orange insert as im at altitude. been running since November and still going strong and hasnt gone through a spark plug yet. noticeable power difference in low and mid so much so i went up a sprocket size in the front, so in first it wouldnt spin so much on rocky slow trails where you need first.

Where did you buy the head? Slaven's doesn't have any inventory other than Orange and I didn't go blue just to add orange. I'd be fine with non-anodized and the few places I do find it, it's orange.