Gti head gasket woes

[Niall]

Right so basically I'm a cock
When I bought the car, it had just had a full service including a coolant change. The bloke doing it was clearly a cock as he filled the expansion chamber to the top so most of it over flowed onto the road 2 miles down the road!
Since, it's had a slight air lock. Was obviously not bled properly. Sunday whilst working on the car, I checked the coolant and it was right at the bottom. Stupidly I forgot to top it up and bleed it! So sitting in traffic on the way to ace and the temp starts to climb as they do. Gets to 90 and then suddenly shoots almost to the red mark. Was in slow moving traffic at the time so couldn't get out to turn the fans on high. Put the blowers on full and.....nothing. Just cold air. Brilliant. Eventually it lapped up some water and cooled down to about 90 then went up to just above 100 and stayed there for about 20 minutes till I could stop to do something about it. Stopped at a petrol station and bled it. It took 2.75 litres of water and that was without bleeding the matrix pipes as it was too hot there. After that it cooled down and sat at 80 happily for the rest of the journey.

So my questions. Firstly, how tough are the heads on gtis? There were no pressurised hoses and the oil is still as clean as the day I put it in but I'm worried that it might of done some damage at them sort of temperatures.
Secondly, where the f*ck has all my water gone? Its not mixing it, there's never any puddles under it or signs of leaking, my matrix is fine!? Is it possible that the guy who did the coolant change didn't bleed it, left an epic air lock in there and it's finally sucked some water round leaving the extension tank dry?

Tbh if I have to do a head gasket, I'm not too fussed. It needs one anyway because there's a slight oil leak from one of the cam carriers. If I'm taking it apart that far, might as well bung a gasket In there. Just worried about warping the head!

[Matt]

Iirc the gti heads are pretty good. If I was you I would just do the head gasket for price of mind. Hope for the best that it's not fubard

[Anton]

It sounds like he didn't bleed it properly, also was there any coolant in there or just water?

I think you're ok, I'd just empty it and start from scratch.

[Niall]

It sounds like he didn't bleed it properly, also was there any coolant in there or just water?

I think you're ok, I'd just empty it and start from scratch.

There was coolant in there but not much I don't think

[Curt]

I would just keep an eye on temperatures/levels, from what you've said I wouldn't say it got hot enough for long enough to do serious damage.

[samass]

Probably f*cked it. Nice one. Best ask grant for that engine back eh

[Popeye_6]

alloy heads + overheating = not good... look at how the rover k series warps when it overheats. i know the 6 engines are stronger, but still.

you cant go wrong with totally draining it and refilling tbh then go from there.

[Curt]

You can't compare these to the K-series engine... and only the larger engines were the real problem as they were bored out from the smaller ones which made the engines weaker. Most heads are ally

[Fooby]

i reckon its f*cked, and tapping, obviously