Steve:
Do you recall a Solex secondary diaphragm? That’s where I know you… BTW: how are the corn and the soybeans looking out there in Iowa this time of year?
Back to your overheating gig. First off, a 160 thermostat is TOO DAMN COLD. Put a 185/190 in there. Second, the fact that you “blew” a hose indicates a poor coolant flow somewhere in the system: block, heater core, or, what a lot of people forget, the water pump. Did you run some coolant system sludge remover through or do a reverse flush? Even though your pump may not leak, it may not be working properly. If it was a rebuilt unit or a used one, that MAY be your problem. Do the reverse flush — seriously. I think you can buy the hardware kit at a Parts Plus/Auto Zone/Pep Boys/whatever. You can do it at home or take it to a radiator shop (someone who does cooling and A/C systems ONLY). I’m going to throw caution and self-respect to the wind and say you have a water pump heading south.