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

yes freeze pliugs can be gotten easily without removeing the engine

even the ones on the back of the motor?

you'll have to pull the tranny, but not the motor, and you will prolly have to pull the flywheel, but all you need for that is an impact rench

thanks sunder, the thought of pulling the motor again under the circumstances as last time cause to turn in my sleep. the tranny i can handle much easier. rob

how hot is it down there? i know in the summer here, if you leave a beer unattended for a short time, it's 100 degrees at 0 psi(open) and there won't be as much in it as before from evaporation.

Well, I'm in the mountains at an altitude of about 9000 ft. (sucks for carbs!) so it only gets up to about 80-85 mid-day. I have the feeling that this is the problem though, and am going to pursue options to get my radiator temp down. it seems that all the water is boiling or evaporating out of my overflow tank. first, I'll buy a shroud. thanks for input, Rob

okay, got it figured out. now i need a solution. radiator is just too hot. the overflow bottle overflows when running and then when cool sucks the water back into radiator causing a low level in the bottle. i have to get the radiator cooler. i am going to start with a shroud, any comments above that are welcome, by the by, i have an aftermarket fan with six blades, but who knows if it's doing a good job! actually the problem seems to be that the temp climbs highest when cruising at 60mph on the highway, not at idle or in the city. thanks again in advance. rob

That makes it sound like a leaking head gasket or cracked head to me. Good luck. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

thanks for the advice. anybody else think the same? (head gasket/head)....rob