If its just had major engine work I'd put a bet on a bit of air in the system etc,may just need a good bleed through,cvh is a tough old boot of a motor and all the hammered ones I had back in the day never got hot so its most likely something coolant system related rather than engine issues.
Drain and flush it all through,even if just with water for now,put the right amount in,not too much,in fact a bit less than what you need. Remove the overflow pipe that goes into the header tank before you start.
Run it up to temp,leave the cap on and the pipe off,that way any excess air will bleed out at the highest point,keep doing it til its all bled through and see where you are. Add water when required and check that its pumping back through the thin pipe into the header tank. Keep going until all is well,check the fan comes on when it should etc and see where you are from there.
The worst cars to bleed are the e36 beemers in my experience and a good trick for them is to do as I suggested and leave the expansion cap off overnight to bleed off any excess.
Good luck fella.