[wandering albatross]

I can look into getting the coolant system flushed and double check that it passes a pressure test. Neither of these have been done recently. It isn't consuming any coolant as long as it is kept cool (normal operating temperature).

Right now, I only have the temp gauge on the dash. It does seem to match what I find in the overflow bottle and with the final failure of the original engine. I could potentially add a separate temp gauge to confirm.

I also suspect that the lean burning aspect of the VX engine helps with MPG, but generally runs hotter than a standard Civic. This combined with the high air temperature driving, could push the cooling system.