After headgasket replacement change only filter

[toeout]

...or oil too?

I just replaced the headgasket on my 1989 Civic Si and it was dirty work to get all the old gasket off the block. I used rolled up utility towels to plug all the oil passages and vacuumed extensively during and after old headgasket scraping. So theoretically very little dirt got into oil.

This is my autocross car so I only drive it ~5500 miles a year and change oil once a year right before I put it away for winter. The last oil change was in November and I have put maybe few hundred miles on it since.

The oil is Amsoil Signature Series 10W30 and looks very clean, so I'm really thinking that the filter replacement should sufficient. Hate to just waist it.

What say you?

 

[BigCahuna]

Any signs of anti freeze in the oil? If so, I would change it.,,

 

[spasm3]

I would do a short oci with a cheap dino, to get out any debris and coolant.

 

[Cristobal]

If there was no chage in the oil level, I bet no antifreeze got in it. If you drained it out first I bet you are OK. Just make sure no large fragment of gasket or sealer got in the oil.

 

[fdcg27]

If I had the head off, I'd run a short interval of any old oil and filter just to remove any debris that might have gotten in, along with any glycol contamination.
After going to the trouble of replacing a head gasket, I wouldn't be too worried about wasting a little potentially good oil.

 

[toeout]

Oops I omitted some info.

I didn't replace the headgasket because it failed per se. On Hondas from that vintage, the headgasket can start leaking oil to the outside of the block, which is exactly what happened to me. Honda has TSB for that problem, where the original graphite headgasket gets replaced with much stronger multi layered steel gasket, which I did.

So no coolant got into oil. Before I drained the coolant, I took the radiator cap off and it was to the top of the filler neck. I haven't added any coolant during the 2 years when
I last replaced the coolant.

 

[rslifkin]

I'd run a short OCI with the cheapest dino you can find, then change oil and filter, just to be safe.

 

[chubbs1]

Most likely no problems, just run the current oil and filter for 500mi-1k and change it.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Change the oil. I'd rather be safe just in case your trying to get out all the old "stuff" did not work 100%.

Bill

 

[LckydevL]

Why not drain the Amsoil, run it through a quick filtering process of some sort to get any big chunks of something that might have snuck by you? Use something like pantyhose, just something to get big chunks.

Then run some Supertech for a hundred miles or so with a cheap filter. The latest oil special at Autozone/O'Reilly is Mobile Super and a filter for $9.99 would be perfect for this.

Only put back the Amsoil if you are absolutely sure there is no coolant contamination.

 

[toeout]

Thanks for quick replys. I'll drive it as is for a few days and then change the oil and filter. The " not worth the risk " point is well taken and impossible to argue against

 

[stephen9666]

That's a lot of $$ in oil to waste.

I don't think I would change it. The oil is still fresh and you took a good amount of precautions. If you think there's coolant in the oil, then change it. But I'd leave it, otherwise.

Plus, if anything did get in the engine, the oil filter should catch it.

 

[artificialist]

I would change the oil and filter, simply because now matter how much time I allow the coolant to drain, some of it always ends up where it doesn't belong.