Oil change w/ CC Zinc additive - 500m or next oci?

[R18Civic]

I’m about nearing reassembly of my top end. Been one thing after another with this. Started as exhaust work turned stud extraction which then turned pulling the heads for metal chips. 2 head gaskets damaged in the mail, heads arrived with light scratches (found a nasty crack in an exhaust valve) which should be negligible with copper gasket spray. Machine shop turned my lower into scrap aluminum by rushing a gasket match/porting job out of the door asap.

I’ve got the tools to port my own lower which looks simple enough if you port match. They say gasket matching is easier but you remove much more metal which makes it tricker.

My question is this: the company I got my reconditioned/rebuilt heads from only had #105 which are step above #90 LS6 style springs only in seat pressure. The website states the #90 springs have a higher spring rate.

While I’m in there I’m gonna replace all 12 pushrods. No new cam or lifters. I’ve always read zinc additive is needed when breaking in stiffer springs.

What should I do after adding the additive? Change oil after 500-1000 or do my usual 6k? Current oil has only a few hundred miles but has been sitting with no heads since late December so I’m unsure of moisture accumulation.

 

[novadude]

With a roller cam, I would not worry about the zinc addditive. I would recommend changing oil after 500 miles anytime you are deep inside the engine (head swap, etc). No matter how careful you are, there will be contaminants that get into the lifter valley, etc, not to mention the initial wear metals as parts get friendly with each other.

 

[Langanobob]

If you're determined to add the zinc additive, I'd drain and change the oil as soon as you pour the zinc additive into your motor.

 

[R18Civic]

I figured why not. I’m replacing pushrods because there is a lot of wear on the old set. I’m running aftermarket rockers and I saw a lot of wear up to. This despite me doing a 5 minute flush a few hundred miles after installing them. The engines been covered and stuffed with rags and I’ve got the deck sealed off using pieces of cardboard wrapped in cling wrap, poked with holes for the head bolts to hold it in place. Every 3-7 days I reoil the piston rings, lube the cylinder walls and coat the deck and cylinders with WD40.

I’m draining the oil regardless to check it. If it doesn’t appear to bad I’m going to run it just long enough to warm it up and get everything circulating before changing it.