ok guys,
i did a compression test and all check out good. all cylinders read between 155-165psi. i tested the engine cold and hot. all cylinders still consistent. however, on a good note and maybe this could help lead to an answer...

it's been a couple days since i have driven my car. each time i work on it, i check the coolant level, which always drops a little, even though i havent driven it and there is none on the ground and none in my oil. each time i top it off, only to come back later and find the level down a little bit, anywhere from 1/4-1". not much, but still enough to indicate that thier might be air locked somewhere, which is gradually escaping. today in an attempt to rid the sytem of air, i drove on a steep up hill. about 1/4" way up the 50 yards or so hill, the temp dropped by about 20 degrees. and stayed there for about 15 minutes of driving around, then it started to get a little hot again (about 215). but never got any hotter than that. nothing like the 230-250 that i used to rock up to!! i am thinking that either there is still more air that needs to be gotten out of the system, or there is something that is pumping air into the system.

what do you think?
what else can i do to get the air out of the system?
how do i tell if there is something that is causing air to pump into the system?

thanks,
shad