Car revs high 93 probe 4 cyl 5spd

So I just changed the head gasket and put back together. Took the car for a test drive and noticed right after the start up the rpms were high. Then dropped to normal idol. As soon as I hit the gas it revs up, but when I release there is a delay until the rpms drop. Took on drive and rpms did not drop between gears and when in n at stop sign the rpms stayed around 2k. What could be causing this?

Well, it could be worse, you could have done all that work only to find that the car barely runs or doesn’t run at all.
I think the car needs a couple of trips to adjust to the repairs you have made. The car’s diagnostics weren’t designed just to improve emissions; they also keep the car running in adverse conditions. A higher rpm at idle prevents stalling.

In doing the head gasket work it is possible a vacuum line has been hooked up improperly. Whoever did the head gasket job needs to recheck their work.