I blew a head gasket a while back, and I'm starting to put things together... the machine shop put my intake into the parts washer, but now I can hear water or something sloshing around inside it. Should I be worried?

I had left most of the parts attached to the intake, including the brass coloured thing on the top. I'm not sure what it's called, it has an electrical connector and a vacuum line I think.

They probably didn't hot tank it if there was any brass left on the intake, so maybe they just stuck it in a solvent bath. Could be your EGR valve? I dunno, but I'd mix up some soap and hot water and clean it up, then rinse out with a hose. Blow with compressed air, or let it dry in the sun...don't think I'd want to install it with something in there, whether it be liquid or solid, until I knew it was all out.

That's right... it was just a solvent bath I guess.