'67-'69 Pickup Upper Radiator Hose

[BobBray]

Those of you that have a '67-'69 GMC pickup powered by the V-6 have probably run into problems finding a replacement for the original upper radiator hose assembly. These trucks had a different water manifold with the thermostat on the front, similar to a Buick V-8 or Ford Windsor. This was done because of the lower hood on the new '67 light trucks. The original upper hose consisted of a metal pipe and 2 curved hoses. Further complicating the issue is the fact that the thermostat housing is 1.75" and the radiator inlet is 1.5". The easy solution is to use a universal flex hose, but the bends are a little tight and I don't really like the way they look. In addition, the stock thermostat housings are very hard to find.

I have found that a good solution that looks 'stock' and uses readily available parts is to use a thermostat housing from a '75-up Firebird with a Pontiac 400and an upper hose from a '67-'72 Chevy/GMC C/K light truck with a 292 straight 6 and a HD radiator and/or A/C. All that is required to make the hose fit is to trim an inch or so from the engine end. The 292 hose is 1.5" on both ends, and the Pontiac housing is also 1.5".

The part # for the housing is Four Seasons/Parts Master 84844 and the hose is Gates #20686. Note! Many Firebirds came with a 403 Oldsmobile engine, the Olds housing will not work. It is easy to tell the difference, the Olds housing has an attached thermostat bypass pipe.