2G When to change oil after head work?

[BLOHS7844]

I just had my head machined and it was exposed to the elements for a couple weeks. Not water or anything but dust and bugs and random things that stick to oil. When should I change my oil? Before its started or should I idle it for a bit to get everything out. Should I do an engine flush?

 

[WES_393]

If the car sat open to the elements, I would change the oil before starting the car. Run some cheap conventional oil for a few hundred miles to flush things out (and so tossing the oil won't hurt your wallet too badly) and then fill with your preferred oil and continue with regular oil changes.

 

[BLOHS7844]

I like that idea. Do you really think for a few hundred miles though? And do you think I should use seafoam or anything like that?

And on a side note I can see metal shavings in my exhaust ports. I was thinking starting the car for a couple seconds without the manifold on. What do you think?

 

[GRAVEDIGGER]

The head should have been cleaned and all metal shavings in exhaust ports blown out prior to installation. Can you still blow out the exhaust ports? If so, just do that and go with what you've got and hope for the best. It's not gonna want to run right without the turbo on there along with the airflow sensor on the intake side of the turbo.

 

[BLOHS7844]

The problem is I put oil in the ports to test the seals for my valves so the shavings are sticking to the side

 

[rlacasse1]

Why in the hell would you do that?

If it were me, I would try to clean the oil out. Use some carb cleaner and lot of paper towels and get all that shit out of there. And when you're finished cleanin it, let the head sit for awhile so the extra cleaner that you may have missed with the towels can evaporate.

And in the future, if you're going to test how well the valves seal use carb cleaner or WD-40. Not ####ing oil

 

[RamenPride]

You could probably just use degreaser and a garden hose to get all the junk out of it. However, you will need to dry it quickly and then spray the internals with WD-40 or something similar to prevent the valve guides and other steel parts from rusting. Other options are compressed air, or just take it to the machine shop to have them clean it up again.

 

[spyderdrifter]

+1 for rlacasse1 and WES_393. Get all that crap out with cleaner and not oil. Oil will just complicate your problem. If those metal shavings were present after removing the manifold, I'd suggest inspecting your turbo too. Then like WES said, use conventional oil first. Hope this goes well for you.

 

[BLOHS7844]

I just put the head back on so I can't really use carb cleaner or anything like that. I should have clarified; I used penetrating oil to test for leaks because it penetrates better than carb cleaner. Clearly a bad idea though.

One concern I have is letting the shavings fall down onto the valve. Right now they are stuck to the walls of the port so I'm thinking starting it without manifold to see what comes out. I know for a fact I can start it without a manifold. I will obviously run like shit but it will run with throttle.

If you go on vfaqs, gauges, and click the second one on the list (installing an EGT gauge) it says to drill into the manifold while the car is running. I guess the reasoning is the shavings won't cause damage at idle.

 

[spyderdrifter]

I would still never drill into any part of the engine while it's running. My opinion, it's just begging for something to go wrong. There's too many unknowns in that scenario that I'm not willing to experience.

 

[BLOHS7844]

So do metal shavings in the turbo cause damage by hitting the blades or by getting in the bearings?