VRT overheat

[bikertard]

2000 Jetta Mk4
VR block, bored over to accept JE 9:1 pistons, decked, crank linebore checked.
Cylinder head decked, valves replaced, seats done.
Stock cams, new chains and guides.
Water pump has metal impeller.
440cc injectors, MigFab Customs SRI and fuel rail.
After-run water pump and aux cooler core removed.
All small diameter coolant lines replaced with silicon hosing.
New G12 installed.
AEM tru-boost and UEGO.
No cooling issues before I rebuilt the engine and install the Kinetics Stage two kit.

Other **** thats not important to the heat issue :new clutch, wavetrak diff, 2.5 magnaflow catless, Audi TT front brakes, hotchkiss sway bars, FK coilovers, etc...

I can't drive the car ten blocks without it overheating.
I replaced the coolant temp sensor, no difference.
Upper hose is 190 with a heat gun, lower is usually around 90 to a 100.
Thermostat housing is 195-200.
I installed a new thermostat during the engine build.
I have been told the VR is **** for trapping air, I have filled it every time from the bottom and can hear the air bubbling out. The bubbling stops usually about the time the reservior starts to fill.
The overflow is connected to the composite 'T' fitting in the lower rad hose.
Every time it gets hot, it pukes a bit(I finally measured it the third time), maybe a cup and a half of coolant.
I keep putting in about two and a half to three.
Oil level stays the same, compression is 165-175 across the board, no leak down over two minutes, the head gasket isn't popped.

Suggestions????

[bikertard]

Oh yeah, Walbro 255 mounted in tank(stack location) with an Aeromotive regulator.

[PjS860ct]

How much coolant have u put in the system? Might still have air bubbles.. run the heater and let it idle with the coolant cap off... rev it a little as well, when the.coolant level goes down put more in then close the cap... open it again after.a few then repeat... goodluck

['dubber]

Squeeze the hoses as the engine warms up, keeping the overflow tank open. Do this until the t-stat opens and let it idle for a minute and then cap it.

Beyond that, check for improper coolant blend or maybe a coolant passage in the head or block is clogged somehow.

[bikertard]

I took the thermostat housing out last night to swap the thermostat and the housing was rotted out where the lower flange seats.
It was a new one installed when I built the engine and the lower seat looks like the flange from the thermostat has pounded it apart.
I can't figure out how to attach a image.
I used new G12 from a sealed VW container and distilled water, but the coolant smells a bit off.

['dubber]

Can you install the t-stat backwards? My buddy did that on his 2.0 once. Or maybe there's an extra o-ring that was stuck on one of the new parts causing problems somehow. Did the new t-stat and housing both come with new t-stat o-rings?

[kamahao112]

stuck t stat

[bikertard]

Installed/reassembled t-stat housing with new t-stat, picking up a new water pump tomorrow, cuz I snapped a vane off the composite impeller while checking for slippage to the shaft.
Should be running tomorrow. I'll check for debris with a scope before reinstalling the pump, the rad and heater core are clear, so I guess I'll flush it after I throw in the pump....

[bikertard]

Effin money pit...
New water pump in, found the choice way to fill is through the heater core feed from the cylinder head.
Ran it for half an hour before it overheated this time.
Impossible to check the rad for cold spots.
Got pissed off and pulled the rad and took it to work, took the tip off the pressure washer and ran 200 degree water through it from bottom to top.
Some weird looking whitish residue came out during the flush, but not very much.
Ordered a Mishimoto rad, which appears to bolt straight in, has VW connections, should be here Thursday.
Put a 14 inch Flex-a-Lite Trim Line in to replace the stock main fan.
Gonna try it today with the back flushed rad, then got work in the bush for a week on Caterpillar stuff and deal with easy problems like bad fuel systems from cheap fuel and bad operators.

It doesn't look like the t-stat can go in backwards, what I did find is that the lower flange on the thermostat doesn't actually contact housing, it stays about a quarter inch off.

[masterqaz]

Effin money pit...
New water pump in, found the choice way to fill is through the heater core feed from the cylinder head.
Ran it for half an hour before it overheated this time.
Impossible to check the rad for cold spots.
Got pissed off and pulled the rad and took it to work, took the tip off the pressure washer and ran 200 degree water through it from bottom to top.
Some weird looking whitish residue came out during the flush, but not very much.
Ordered a Mishimoto rad, which appears to bolt straight in, has VW connections, should be here Thursday.
Put a 14 inch Flex-a-Lite Trim Line in to replace the stock main fan.
Gonna try it today with the back flushed rad, then got work in the bush for a week on Caterpillar stuff and deal with easy problems like bad fuel systems from cheap fuel and bad operators.

It doesn't look like the t-stat can go in backwards, what I did find is that the lower flange on the thermostat doesn't actually contact housing, it stays about a quarter inch off.

gotta love those moron operators that dont know much about their rigs.

best of luck. You should be nearing the end of all your problems as youve touched on everything.

[bikertard]

Problem solved.
The first rad showed up looking like someone sat on the box. Hard.
The shop (Speedtech in Edmonton) was awesome, took one look at the rad and said," That's no ****in good.) and ordered another one. No hassles. After all the crap I've been through with the local VW 'enthusiasts' shop, this rapid response from a Nissan/Honda tuner shop was fraking awesome!
Anyways, second rad shows up from Ontario three days later, it doesn't quite fit to expectations, the condenser core won't fit without massive re-modelling. A few little interferance spots to remove and a different set of coupler seals later....
No overheating, I've 200 km's on it now without cooling issues.
With the condenser core out, I removed the compressor, accumulator/dryer and all lines for the A/C.
I re-wired the fans so the smaller fan will come on at the low setting, wired into the high speed side of the fan, and the new fan comes on at the higher setting.
Since the larger fan has yet to cut in, I think I may alter the sequence so the larger fan cuts in at low and the right side functions at high.
Don't really much care right now cuz it's finally running.
It does seem to have a pretty major flat spot at about six psi, I realize I'm still pretty fresh in the break in period, so I'm not really too concerned. We smacked it once up to about 9 psi, it was pretty positive after the flat spot.
I'll give it about another 200km and then I'll drop the break in oil and put in what ever I decide to run it on, any suggestions?