1987 Toyota Corolla thermostat

I have a 1987 toyota corolla and one day it started over heating and stoped I thought it was the thermostat but it wasnt and I didnt have any problems with it after that until I started lossing coolant so I came to the conclusion that I was loosing out of the radiotor cap so I put a new radiator cap on it and drove it well a day or so after wards my top radiator hose blew up split down the middle so I replaced it and didnt have anymore problems well I was looking one day and my top raidiator hose was swelled up twice the size it was sopposed to be so I thought it was the thermostat so I changed it and im not sure if I put it in correctly so what direction would the thermostat go and what would be making my car do this and one more thing my care hasnt been over heating at all through all this time and the hose I put on was one of those flex hoses would it be a default in the hose