Expansion Tank Levels
 

Say there. I noticed the same thing you are concerned about today on my 87 MKIII. I just did a HG. Went for about a twenty mile drive got home looked at the expansion tank it was high let her cool down and she dropped down to its normal level. If that helps. My gauge does not read hot either. So Im guessing it is somewhat normal. So do you know what the beginning of a clutch failure feels like?

Thanks for the info, that sounds reassuring. Like you I've just done a HG replacement, no gurgling noise behind the dash at start up,the expansion tank coolant rises about ? to ? of an inch after a 40 mile trip (with moderate boost) Left over night and the coolant is sucked back into the system as it should. I put the expansion tank in the dishwasher to give it a good clean and marked the max level with black marker pen, probably should have left it dirty then I wouldn’t have noticed the level increase. Your question about the clutch; one way to test a slipping clutch is to drive up a hill and accelerate hard and see if the speed increase in relation to the rev`s, or on a flat road put it into say 4th about 30 miles per hour and accelerate hard, if its slipping the revs will increase but the speed will marginally increase. If you smell something burning it will most defiantly be the clutch.