59 A-B thermostats?

[PGBuick]

Still new to flatheads....Did a '48 59 A-B come equipped with thermostats? If so, where do they mount? Inside the hoses at the heads? Does anyone have a part number for what would work if that is where they are mounted?
Thank you,
Pat

[JayChicago]

Yes, did come with thermostats. Yes, inside the hoses at the heads. All the usual vendors serving our hobby sell them. Here is a sample:
https://thirdgenauto.com/product/193...pair-flathead/

Note: originals were 160 degree, when the commonly available anti-freeze was alcohol which starts to boil at 173 degrees. The vendors still sell those. But your engine will thank you for using 180 degree stats.

[aussie merc]

be warned modern hoses dont have the retaining lip to stop the thermostat from moving up the hose . Search on here for there are several ways to keep them in place

[Fritz]

I’ve gone back to using thermostats and like them. There are a few different ones you could use, but these are commonly used and available: Carquest part number 13848.

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...3848/5653320-P

I took some advice here and put a clamp on each hose just above where the thermostats sit in the water neck on the head. The extra clamps keep them from moving upward in the hose.

[Ron_r1959]

I have always used washers, wonder if the stats would cool any better?

[JayChicago]

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Originally Posted by Ron_r1959

I have always used washers, wonder if the stats would cool any better?

Thermostats don't help cooling. They just maintain a minimum temperature so the engine can have complete combustion, burn off contaminants. When engine is getting hot every thermostat is full open, coolant is flowing about the same as with no thermostat. So makes no difference to cooling.

To help cooling, get rid of those silly washers that were used to restrict flow on high RPM track race cars. If you are having a cooling problem, could be due to those flow restrictors.