Thermostat assembly having integral cylinder head and thermostat housing

A method for cooling a combustion engine, comprising:

• pressurizing a coolant;
• passing the pressurized coolant to a cylinder head of the combustion engine, the cylinder head including a recess formed thereon, a thermostat positioned within the recess and supported in the cylinder head only by a wall located within the recess, and a plate configured to at least partially close off the recess;
• and
• selectively restricting the flow of coolant at the recess based on a temperature of the combustion engine.

An engine, comprising:

• an engine block having at least one cylinder;
• a cylinder head, having a top surface, configured to cap off the at least one cylinder, the cylinder head having a recess extending below the top surface and fluidly connected to a coolant passage of the engine block;
• a plate configured to at least partially close off the recess, the plate being coupled to the cylinder head such that the plate is positioned substantially below the top surface of the cylinder head;
• and
• a thermostat located completely within the recess.

A combustion engine having at least one cylinder, comprising:

• a cooling system configured to circulate a cooling liquid through a cylinder head;
• the cylinder head configured to cap off the at least one cylinder, the cylinder head including a recess extending from a top surface of the cylinder head to a coolant passage extending transversely with respect to the recess, the recess including a wall extending radially inwardly from a sidewall of the recess to form a centrally located aperture within the recess;
• a hose attached to the cylinder head at the top surface and configured to transfer the cooling liquid between the coolant passage and the cooling system through the recess;
• and
• a thermostat positioned in the aperture and supported on the cylinder head only by the wall, the thermostat being configured to selectively allow the cooling liquid to flow through the aperture based on a temperature of the cooling liquid.