Suspect Head Gasket

[superted]

Well everything was going to plan today getting the car ready for its M.O.T, as it been off the road for two years. i have a problem already with the temp gauge, but after spending the last hour trying to bleed the system out after fitting new water pump it gets a build up of air in the system, with the top rad hoses getting quite firm.
I ve done all the basic checks no oil in water, and no water in the oil, got heating, no weaping around the base of the head, the only thing that stands out is the spark plugs, no1 is black at the tip. no2 slighty white, no3 white and so is no4, i know lack of fuel or running lean can cause this but so can water if weaping into the cyclinder but it seems fine, i did notice a slight misfire for a few minutes when cold this morning but cleared when engine got up to tempuature.
Any help would be greatfull 

[jmsheahan]

Have you done a compression test? Any loss of coolant?

[Ant1981]

No water in the oil does not mean the head gasket is fine. If you've got a firm radiator hose, then it's likely your head gasket has blown.

[01664gti]

I hate bleeding mk2's.I think maybe you may have an airlock in the matrix.Sometimes it takes ages to get it out.To get around it i usually run around with less water in for a while then add more as the level drops.

Otherwise i'd twit it as i have no patience and end up with no car lol

[Ant1981]

I think maybe you may have an airlock in the matrix.

Why?

[01664gti]

because air gets trapped in there and does cause airlocks and and cooling problems

Thats why

[Ant1981]

because air gets trapped in there and does cause airlocks and and cooling problems

Thats why

But he has heating.

Firm coolant hose = gasket.

An airlock alone wouldn't cause a firm hose.

[Sam]

Clean the plugs off and leave her running for a bit and then inspect them again. If the same thing happens run a comp test, if is shows you are running low on the two mayo colored plugs your going to have to go digging to find the problem. You say she hasnt been ran/on the road for two years, did you have the correct coolant levels in/drain the coolant over winter. You could have cracked the block if you simply had water in, my car froze up even with the correct coolant in. Sorry if this seems a little drastic, I doubt its the case but still somthing to look out for. 

[Wayne]

Do a compression test as a 1st step but does sound like a h/g issue.

[superted]

No water in the oil does not mean the head gasket is fine. If you've got a firm radiator hose, then it's likely your head gasket has blown.

Yer I know no water in the oil dosnt mean the head gasket fine, just doing the basic tests till my mate comes round with pressure test kit from work. I only got the golf last week i thought i would save it from getting broken up for parts as it sat in a workshop for 2 years with no coolent in as one of the core plugs was leaking, but i've done that and fitted new water pump and rad, then flushed the system through till flowing clean.
After starting from cold lots of steam on start up and misfire this morning got a little video, after running for a little while fan kicks in but water in the header tank not hot, water dripping out of rad return at boiling point then water surges backwards up into the header tank and overflows evrywhere, then water goes back down into the system.   

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9y46McTHS4