Need help with radiator hose

[Lit549]

Installed a 383 with a summit brand aluminum water pump, outlet is 1 3/4.
Installed new champion radiator, outlet is 1 1/2.. What lower hose can I use?? I've looked at about every hose oreillys has. I'd rther rub rubber hoses instead of stainless flex..Any suggestions?? Thanks in advance.

 

[melloelky]

i had the same problem with the lower hose on my bigger radiator.I'm running a Gates 22542.it's from a 7.3 ford upper radiator hose.i think i trimmed about an inch off it to fit.worked well.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Guys, I don't get the problem. The stock lower hose is 1-1/2" on the radiator and 1-3/4" on the pump. Any direct fit replacement hose should work.

Tommy

 

[melloelky]

Guys, I don't get the problem. The stock lower hose is 1-1/2" on the radiator and 1-3/4" on the pump. Any direct fit replacement hose should work.
Tommy

i had to soap the crap out of my stock hose to get it to fit the oversized radiator fitting

 

[LS6 Tommy]

This thread prompted me to do a little research, so I broke out my GM Illustrated Parts Catalogs, started digging and running part numbers online. AFAIK, all SBC and BBC have the same thermostat hosing and water pump inlet sizes. The water pump inlet is 1-3/4". The thermostat housing is 1-1/2". In 1980, GM switched the G body radiator inlets from 1-1/2" to 1-/14". Every 1980+ replacement upper hose I've looked at is 1-1/2 on one end and 1-1/4" on the other. The 1978 & 1979 had 1-1/2" on both ends of the upper hose, so I can see why people might have a problem with getting the right upper hoses.

Lit549, any stock replacement lower hose for a 1978-1983 Malibu 5.0 V8 should fit fine.

Melloelky, I have never seen any GM G body radiator with 1-3/4" outlet. IDK what brand and application your radiator is, but I'm assuming it was some sort of "universal" or retrofit application.

In any event, for anyone looking at radiators and hoses, you want a radiator with a 1-1/2" inlet and outlet and you want a 1978-1979 upper hose.

Tommy