Thanks for the replies fellas. Haven't found a leak yet. Hoses are all good, heater core is not leaking, no coolant in the oil, water pump is not weeping or leaking. The only thing I can figure is that when the engine is at operating temp the coolant expands and escapes through the reservoirs overflow. I've put a small plastic bottle on the overflow to see if thats whats occurring. My Dad had an 87 Caprice that used to do that. Once the coolant found its level it ran fine and cool and didn't lose any more coolant. He ran it that way for years. Hopefully this is the same thing. If not, I'll keep on a lookin. Bucky

If you are refilling with a coolant that is comaptible with the old stuff, you don't have to get every last drop of the old stuff out, just most of it. First, leave the radiator cap in place. Loosen the drain cock at the bottom of the raditor (with a drain pan in place of course). It won't drain very fast, but it should suck coolant out of the overflow bottle. After most of the coolant has been removed from the overflow bottle, proceed to a quicker method of draining. Remove the radiator cap. The outflow should increase. if that isn't fast enough, remove the bottom radiator hose at the raditor and the coolant should gush out. Very likely you will be changing the thermostat as well. That is recommended. Loosen the housing containing the thermostat and more coolant should flush from the engine. Clean off the gasket surfaces and put in the new thermostat paying attention to the correct orientation. Some thermostats can be intalled backwards. In general, the temperature sensing slug (wax motor) should face toward the engine (toward the hot water side) - check your manual for this or pay attention to the old thermostat before removing it. Refilling: Rather than to try to guess the proper amount of water and antifreeze to pour in, pre-mix the solution in a covenient container, say an old antifreeze jug. Usually, this is a 50/50 mix by volume. In very cold climes, you may wish to increase the amount of antifreeze. Pour a can of corrosion inhibtor and water pump lubricant into the raditor, then finish filling with the premix. If one jug of premix isn't enough, mix up another jug. The leftover can be stored on the shelf and used for makeup fill later on. Just cap it tight. By the way, I forgot to mention: Put the hoses back on before refilling. Sadly, the system will not completly refill. Some manuals instructs to relieve the air somewhere around the thermostat housing. This aids in filling the heads. In any event, put as much in as you can, then start the engine (with the radiator cap off). Put the heater control on max heat. Go back to your post at the raditor. You'll want to shut off if the coolant starts to gush out, but I don't think it will. Nothing much happens until the theromstat opens, then the fluid ahould drop as the engine heads and heater core fills. Add more remix as necessary. Also, fill the overflow bottle to its recommended level. When you have put in all the premix that you can, put on the raditor cap and tighten it. From now own, you will dealing with a sealed system. It takes about three thermal cycles of heating and cooling to flush out the air and bring the system to its desired level of fluid fill. After the initial engine warm up. Stop it and allow it to cool. You should see coolant being sucked out of the overlow bottle into the engine. When the level of the overflow bottle slows in change, restart the engine to flush more air out of the system. when the engine nears operating temperature, refill the overflow bottle and shut off the engine. This is thermal cycle no. 2 and the system should be nearly filled. Allow the engine to cool until it nearly stops taking fluid our of the overflow bottle, then refill the bottle. At no time should the port at the bottom of the bottle be uncovered, else it will admit air into the coolant system. From now own, always add makeup coolant to the overlow bottle and keep raditor cap sealed. Drive the car normally keeping watch on the overflow bottle. Add coolant as necessry. The system should stablize after the about the third thermal cycle. None of these shenanigans are necessary if one could get the system completely filled in the first place, but in my experience, I've always needed to put on some thermal cycles to completely flush out the air. Some auto models have instruction to aid filling the system. Study the recommended procedure and apply it for best results.

I suspect that the system was not full, possibly air space in the heads. I don't know about the location of an air-bleed on the 3.1 L V6, but I think is is similar to the 2.8 L V6. My 2.8 l V6 did not have an air bleed. the drill was to fill it as much as possible with a top most hose removed and when coolant started flowing out the hose bib, re-attach the hose and fill as much as possible. Pre-mix the antifreeze and water, usually half and half (unless you purchased the pre-mixed stuff). Be on your toes when you purchase antifreeze. The 100% antifreeze and premix often occupy the same shelf space and it easy to get these mixed up. Use this mix to add coolant to the system. Do not try to mix in the radiator since it is too difficult to get the desired mix ratio. Fill the overflow bottle with coolant to a level above the full mark. With the heater control set to high heat, radiator cap off, start the engine. Add coolant as the level sinks (for short period of time) and then put on the radiator cap. Don't remove this cap again during the filling process. Don't run the engine no more than 5 minutes because there is probably air in the heads. Stop the engine and allow to cool. You should see coolant being drawn out of the overflow bottle. Check the level in the bottle and start the engine. Allow it to run long enough to open the thermostat. The upper radiator hose has a significant rise in temperature when the thermostat opens. Stop the engine and allow to cool. As the coolant cools, it will suck more fluid from the bottls, that is, if the fill cap is in good condition and there are no air leaks in the line running from under the cap to the overflow bottle. You can hasten the first two cooling periods by running some water over the radiator core. Check the fluid level in the bottle. Always add coolant to the bottle, never at the radiator cap. The cap must remain in place to keep from admiting new air into the system. After these first 2 minor thermal cycles, there should be enough coolant in the system to run the car for a short time. Drive the car until the thermostat opens and the temperature comes to near normal. Park it and allow to cool. Resupply the overflow bottle and after this 3rd thermal cycle, there should be enough fluid in the system to drive the car at mild service conditions. Watch the coolant level in the bottle for the next 2 to 3 cool downs, add coolant as needed, and when the level stabalizes, you may go back to the normal check schedue. Because the intake manifold was disturbed, keep an eye on the oil level and condition over the next few days. We're looking for possible coolant leaks into the crankcase. On this engine, the intake manifold sits between the heads, acts as the valley cover, and has coolant passages. A rise of oil level and color change may indicate coolant leak into the crankcase. Oil contaminated with ethylene glycol will have a brownish color and may...

The line to/from the compressor would be the line between the internal heat exchanger and the compressor (or reversing valve.) refrigman1, I don't understand what you mean by saying that this same line carries the cooling and heating. For cooling, the line to/from the compressor does not carry cooling - it is the return line to the compressor; for heating, it indeed carries the heating as the coolant flows from the compressor to the internal heat exchanger. This line would be at low pressure for cooling (as the coolant would have been throttled right before the internal heat exchanger), but high pressure for heating (as the coolant would be coming directly from the compressor.) Perhaps your terminology is not quite accurate here. I can see, however, why it would be desired for this line to not have any heat exchange (i.e., it should be insulated) - especially for heating (as that would be heat lost before the exchanger) - but also for cooling as the additional heat gained before the compressor would cause the back pressure to rise, which would result in a higher temperature for the evaporation process. I understand how the line between the 2 heat exchangers is at the constant temperature of 95F as for both cycles, the state of the coolant would be the high pressure saturated liquid (and would thus be thin because as a liquid, it does not need much volume.) It would always be a good idea for this line to give off heat as it would make the job of the following heat exchanger (i.e., the one in the role of the evaporator) a little easier. It would not be a good idea for it to gain any heat, but at 95F, it would not be gaining much even during the hottest of summers. Since this line between the heat exchangers (i.e., the one that does not go to/from the compressor) is at 95F, it would be very bad for it to be inside for cooling, but would be good for heating. So it seems that both of these lines should go outside as much as possible. Running along the soffit space, they would be fairly easily accessible, and not in the spray foam space. creek_side, the length will be a total of about 75' between the internal and external units. Whatever must be done will be done to support this. The internal unit must be located at one place, and the external in another, and unfortunately on the other side of a long house. As I understand it, at the very worst, I would need wider lines and perhaps some sort of step up pump unit, which I could locate at about 50' from the external unit, or in a pinch at about 20' away (although I really don't want to do that.)