i am going to put some coolant into the system, run it for 30 minutes or so(parked), and see what happens. if i lose water parked when the radiator doesn't go past a temp of 240?, i will assume that i am losing it from the rear of the motor, where it will probably evaporate before hitting the ground due to heat. i'll clean the area around the cap really well first too. yes, i do have a new thermostat in it, and i dropped it into a pan of water on the stove first to make sure it opened, (bought a GATES thermostat, more reliable than some of the products to be found down here), and a new cap as well(GATES) several weeks ago. if the problem is a freeze plug, can this be replaced without pulling the motor? (i.e. pulling the tranny) thanks for the help, all good advice.....Rob