So I finished a head job recently on my cruze and I have hopped through a bunch of hurdles as is, but now it overheats! the coolant boils over into the revisor tank and overflows... great!

First thought of course is that I messed up the head gasket, but I got a new head, felpro gasket, new bolts and everything torqued/stretched to spec. When the car is cool no bubbles are coming from the tank, so I don’t think exhaust gas is getting in. oil/coolant seems clean. So I’m hoping that might not be the issue.

Next thing I’m thinking is the eBay water pump and/or thermostat are not doing their job. The “upper” coolant hose on the left side of the engine after the thermostat feels cool and soft to the touch. The right side “lower” hose next to the battery is hot. Maybe the water pump isn’t pushing? Or the thermostat is stuck closed?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated