Hello All:

Many thanks for the wise and in some cases, humorous responses.

A few things:

I never saw 'top' on the gasket, but it cannot be flipped left-right and still match up with the cylinders. If it can be flipped front to back and be WRONG I might have messed it up but I will be darned if I could tell the difference and I checked it slowly and carefully. All gasket holes matched all chambers.

Several months ago, after a fluid change I did not have enough fluid in the radiator and I had a similar situation with the meter going off the deep end. In this more recent case, the fluid in the radiator was still topped off when I opened the top.

The thermostat worked before, why would it not work now? It is not like I never drove this car before. I know when the temperature gauge gets to the comfort zone, I know how it reacts when it sits in traffic too long.

I doubt I put the thermostat in upside down because I left the 90-degree radiator hose on the top of it when I took it off. I just bolted it back on.

I will try some of your sage suggestions and report back on Thursday. I am off to the theater tonight so Virginia will have to wait until tomorrow.

Many thanks again, guys.

Cheers,

Jeff Pucillo