PD engine coolant loss

[bluebus66]

Hi,
Just got myself a 2000 Passat with an AJM 115 hp PD engine.
I love the car, but it was bought (cheaply) with a known problem.
Car will run all week round town with no loss of coolant, but take it on a run and it dumps about a litre from the reservoir overflow. The engine never go's above 90 degrees and runs spot on.
Is this the inevitable head gasket, or any bright ideas for another cause.
I've not had a good play yet, but don't want to waste my time if the consensus is HG.
Its had a water pump and radiator and is currently running sans thermostat.
It takes a lot to get it to warm up without the thermostat, so a VW replacement will be first on the list.
Coolant is flowing when I take the top hose off, but does not get very warm.
Oh yeah, the heater doesn't get hot either. But that may be a result of no thermostat.

[Quantum TD]

Yeah. It's the head gasket. I had the same issue on my ALH. It will be fine around town and idling, but once it's under boost, it will force compression into the coolant and force out the fluid. You'll be into it for a resurface, etc. Send it to Frank at FRANKS TDIs in MO (you can find him on the TDI club). Overall, you're looking at about $600-800 in parts and labor on the head alone. More if you have someone else do the work.

If it were just losing coolant and not forcing it out, I'd say check the EGR cooler: a know problem on those cars (2001 especially). But force out with no t-stat=HG blown.

Good luck

[bluebus66]

Thanks.
Sort of knew it was the inevitable HG, but live in hope of some other minor problem that can cause the same symptoms.
I would have thought it would have got worse by now though. Its apparently been doing this for about a year.
And no heater?
FRANK might be a bit far for me. I'm in Yorkshire (UK).