To Flush or not, X6 and steering head

[barko1]

I'm making slow progress and haven't destroyed much yet on my X6. Motor is sitting on the bench, should I flush it out with oil or kerosene or any such thing? I know it has been sitting for a long time and at this point I would prefer not to crack it open. Once I clean it up I thought I'd put it back in the frame, connect it up, get it some fresh gas and oil, and kick it to life, hopefully. And any tips on the best way to clean the external as well. Thanks Oh and is there a good source for steering head bearings??

[H2RICK]

John, what I would do is to fill the gearbox with slightly more than the required capacity of oil.....but I'd use clean petroleum-based high flashpoint solvent like Varsol instead. Slosh it around by tipping the engine in various directions and then let it sit for 30 minutes or so and then drain it.....tipping the engine to make sure you get it all out. Repeat as required until the solvent runs out clean.
Same thing for the crank chambers....IF/IF you have the top end off.
Otherwise, leave the power side of the engine alone except for maybe giving each cylinder a shot or two of pure injector oil and rolling the crank over 3 or 4 revolutions with the plugs OUT.
I, personally, would pull the clutch apart and check/measure everything before washing the clutch plates and associated bits in clean solvent. A new set of clutch springs probably wouldn't hurt, either.
I'm sure others can add to this list.