Custom Thermostat housing for use with the Cool-Flex Hose
An installation article by Mark Cornell (HemiSuperBee)
I know many of our members have Cool-Flex Hoses on there trucks... if you do, you know what I'm talking about - the hose will not make the sharp bend before the power steering reservoir cap. Here is my solution to the problem:
 | Purchase another Thermostat (T-stat) housing from dealer (part# 53021536-AC). The new thermostat is not that expensive. |
| Cut hose neck from T-stat housing. |
| Find a piece of pipe to insert between housing and hose neck. I think we used 1.50 diameter pipe. A slightly smaller diameter worked well for added clearance around serpentine belt. |
| Weld pipe to housing and hose neck. We guessed on the angle and managed to get it right the first time. If you still have your factory rubber hose, you could probably use it as a template. |
| Smooth out the welds... J-B Weld works well as filler. I recommend installing on truck to check for fit around the serpentine belt and power steering cap. Also, check for leaks before painting or powder coating. |
| Finish as desired, I choose a white powder coat. |
This was a very time consuming project, a lot of work and testing went into this. I hope these instructions will aid you during your install - this is definitely not a project for a beginner. I think the finished product was well worth the effort though!
So far the new housing has over 750 miles on it and has been well tested in the 100+ degree Texas heat with no overheating problems. The temp gauge stays just a little before the half-way mark. The only problem I had was with the second Cool-flex hose clamp (connecting the hose to the housing). With the hose resting on the power steering cap, the clamp tends to bend. I would recommend replacing it with a new coupler from Cool-flex before installing.
Written by “HemiSuperBee” for HTC.com. Edited by “MrHemi”. Special thanks to Brian (CTD owner) for doing the welding.
