I could be totally wron on this, but I believe the 898 is a small block
chevy 305 CI Engine.

Now this is a wild shot but if this is a new or a fresh reman enging,
it's possible tht somebody could have put one of the intake manifold
gaskets on backwards.

(Yes..it can be done)

What happens is that there are coolant ports that flow water fromt he
head to the intake manifold for circulation,a nd it's quite possible
that if a gasket is backwards, a channel could be blocked off, thus
halting the circulation. The only way to find out is to pull the
intake manifold and inspect the gaskets.

Another is check the engine timing. if it isn't up to spec or is
running retarded advance, it will make the engine run hot due to the
spark is firing the fuel too late.

other thant hat... I really don't know.

Good Luck!
Tim