Hey, this question is for a non-IT car, but how critical is it to retain the cooling outlet on the end of the head versus just block it off?  I'm wondering in particular about a 1.6  8V  engine but it could apply to other VW 4 cyl engines.  I've seen high-horsepower prod and GT engines built both ways.  I am guessing that there might be a temperature gradient through the head if some coolant flow is not retained on that end but that may not be true...