Overheating after head gaskets replaced

[lozzah666]

Recently had the heads on my VT done up but after re-installing with new head gaskets the engine overheats after 10 or 15 minutes at idle or quicker if driven.

Compression test seems OK. Tried running without thermostat but no luck there either. Water pump seems to be working Ok because plenty of heat makes it through to the radiator.

Only thing I can think of is when I did up a V8 as a teenager a mate and I installed the wrong gasket on the wrong head and that blocked some water passages leading to localised overheating and dumping of water through the radiator which is exactly what I seem to have now.

I was aware of this potential stuff up when re-doing the heads on the VT, but as the gaskets were clearly marked with the word 'front' I thought it would be impossible to install them around the wrong way provided 'front' was to the front.

However now it occurs to me that it would be possible to install the wrong way around if the word 'front' was meant to be face down. That seems unlikely, but as I am stuck for any other explanation, I must consider all possibilities.

Does anyone know if there is some easy way of telling whether the gaskets are around the wrong way after re-assembly? Last thing I want to do is pull the thing down again only to find there was no problem with the gaskets.

Thanks in advance

[BlackVXGTS]

Was all the air bled out of the cooling system after the heads were done? Have you checked to make sure that the fans are working properly?

[vxcalais_01]

Recently had the heads on my VT done up but after re-installing with new head gaskets the engine overheats after 10 or 15 minutes at idle or quicker if driven.

Compression test seems OK. Tried running without thermostat but no luck there either. Water pump seems to be working Ok because plenty of heat makes it through to the radiator.

Only thing I can think of is when I did up a V8 as a teenager a mate and I installed the wrong gasket on the wrong head and that blocked some water passages leading to localised overheating and dumping of water through the radiator which is exactly what I seem to have now.

I was aware of this potential stuff up when re-doing the heads on the VT, but as the gaskets were clearly marked with the word 'front' I thought it would be impossible to install them around the wrong way provided 'front' was to the front.

However now it occurs to me that it would be possible to install the wrong way around if the word 'front' was meant to be face down. That seems unlikely, but as I am stuck for any other explanation, I must consider all possibilities.

Does anyone know if there is some easy way of telling whether the gaskets are around the wrong way after re-assembly? Last thing I want to do is pull the thing down again only to find there was no problem with the gaskets.

Thanks in advance

Arent there certain cut outs showing on one side. I think you can tell with removing the inlet manifold. Is shows more of the gasket on that side.

[howler31]

have u cheaked the fins on the water pump once commodores have done about 100 to 150000ks the brown sluge thats allways there and (ALLWAYS COMES BAK) the pump fins are no longer there i fixed a mates car were it would overheat when stoped rev it up to about 2500 rpm and the force of whats left of the water pump moved the water around but not at full potenical so cheak water pump bet the it no fins left