it's always good to run any freshly assembled engine under load for a
while..
just in case there is .......say ....anti-frz from failed head gaskets
in the muffler.

also .....if an engine with a head gaskets failing sits with anti-frz in
the cylinders for a year ....
I can't imagine that that would be very good for rings and cylinder walls.
Normally not a problem ....and .....it sure was never designed to sit
with old anti-freeze or water in the cylindersfor a long time. Could be
a factor .

this could fall under..... 'the longer one waits to repair a known
failure ........the worse things get, and more expensive too.'

Reminds me of someone letting a dead car or vanagon sit for years with
the parking brake on very firmly.
That happened to one of my very best vanagons before I got it ...87
Wolfsburg..
the guy, a car nut too, let it sit with the parking brake on hard for a
long time.  It never even occured to him that that couldbe rough on
things, as in stuck cables or shoes rusted to drums, etc.

Sure gotta give credit to Vanagons and VW ..
Vanagons endure just incredible abuse and neglect and manage to not
suffer too, too much, quite often.

On 6/25/2013 4:41 AM, Robert Anderson wrote:
> Hello All,
> After a winter project of replacing the head gaskets in my 2.1 engine, I now have the engine back in and just started it up and she sounds good, however she is blowing a little smoke when I rev up the gas. Prior to my doing the head gaskets this engine sat out for about a year. I'm wondering if a little smoking is normal and should clear up after running for a while?
> Thanks,
> Bob Anderson
> Wilmington, MA
>
> Sent from my iPad