Burning oil after new head install

[JMBT]

I think you may be onto something with that yellow paint idea!! My brother still runs an old 2WS Cat, and has no where near the crap I have with this POS Cummins! In my opinion the last good motor Cummins made was the N14, but rest assured you are far better off with your 871, then those of us suckers who have 2250's and 2350's.

With my limited knowledge, I would say oil could get past an injector O'ring if they nicked or damaged it when they installed it. But since the fuel pressure is higher then the oil pressure I would suspect fuel in the oil would be a more likely result.

As far as the valve guide seals, if they are made like the updated ones I just put on my 2250, I cant see alot that could go wrong as long as they lubed them good before they installed them. If they are the same style as mine, the spring actually holds the seal down to the guide, instead of the seal just being pressed onto the top of the guide.

Did they touch anything on the bottom end at all?? pistons, rings, liners???

Good job eliminating the turbo. That only leaves worn rings and liners as a culprit. Could the shop have done anything when removing and replacing the head to cause damage to the rings or liners??? Like, knocking loose soot, carbon, or dirt onto the tops of the pistons and not cleaning it off before reinstalling the head. Thus allowing it to score the liner walls or damage the rings on startup..?? I am just spitballing here man, so take it with a grain of salt.

The only other thing that comes to mind is I have heard many of the gurus on this forum strongly discourage using a reman head on these motors.