I have an older engine /bike combo I bought back in 2015. It is on a 24" Micargi Rover Ace beach Cruser. It was be for my wife thus the 24" bike. But build issues/no time slowed it. Last year I got it finished and she doesn't care for it now. I have ridden it but the issue I had in the build was the spark plus was too close to the frame. In this engine it slopes backwards .I thought I read some where you could just rotate the head 180 and that would fix the issue. So I did that seems to work ok but another bike builder saw it and said it would wreck my engine. So who is correct? Thanks JohnB53
Head reversal??
- Thread starter JohnB53
- Start date
You are correct. There’s nothing in the head that cares which direction it’s in. Aside from the cooling fins not being in the right direction you can even put it on sideways. So put it on whichever way works and looks best.
well… that’s mostly true. In his book ‘Two Stroke Tuners Handbook’, Gordon Jennings mentions that having the spark plug on the exhaust side could cause issues; because the exhaust port is already the hottest part of the engine, and having the charge initially combusted on the side of the engine that already get scorching, isn’t exactly the best idea. Though, using grocery store 2-cycle engine oil may not be the best idea either. You could also argue that using gasoline with high ethanol content and no fuel stabilizer isn’t a good idea. Some might even say that that using a $80 Chinese engine, a $150 grocery store bike, and only spending an additional $40 in parts may not be the brightest idea.
You know what I say to that? “Piss off. You can gloat when you have proven it’s a bad idea.”
Also I must testify. I ran my bike with the head flipped and the craziest thing happened. Nothing. I was quite disappointed.
You could get one of those heads with the spark plug in the middle, then everyone is right (or wrong).
