I have an '84. Just replaced the radiator with one from RockAuto. Oil cooler lines won't connect. Research tells me the fitting was changed after 1984. The aluminum part of the two piece line ends with a male 1/2" NPT fitting. The radiator oil cooler has a 3/4"-18 UNF female.

I went to 3 radiator shops, 3 hardware stores, a plumbing supply house and a GM dealership looking for an adapter, all without success.

My next bright idea: Can I just use an '85-'91 pipe with my '84 hose, OR is the fitting on the end that connects to the hose ALSO different?

Anybody tackled this before? To be clear, I'm talking about the ends that attach to the radiator.

Workarounds?

Thanks.

 

I am unfamiliar with you are calling a UNF ?I tried googling but no luck on my end Can you post pics of what you are working with?

 

5/8 npt to 18 unf are easy to find as temp gauge adapters. You can get a 1/2 to 5/8 adapter then the 5/8 to 18.

 

I think by now you know UNF is Unified National Fine. Your solution would have been a good one if I'd been working with good information in the first place. Contrary to what the manufacturer told me, the oil cooler thread is 1/2" NPT. The FOURTH rad shop I visited took the time to look at my problem and noticed the aluminum line was mushroomed. It prevented the line from entering the well of the cooler fixture and the threads from making contact. Five minutes on the grinder wheel fixed that.

This experience confirmed, sadly, that customer service reps rarely know their product well enough. Also, guess where I'll go for rad service next time...

Thanks for your help.