Part numbers...

[inkjunkie]

Learned a very valuable lesson today...part numbers don't really mean a whole helluva lot. My truck is an 02 Silverado 2500HD, D-max with an Allison behind it. Long story how I got here but lets just say I replaced the radiator. GM part number is 89018318. Many places have it listed as covering 01-05. Problem is in 03 GM changed the size of the lines/fittings. The original 02 fitting going into the radiator trans cooler was 22mm, the quick connect side was 23mm id. The 03 and up fittings are 20mm on the thread going into the radiator trans cooler, the quick connect side is 21mm id. So these radiators being sold using the GM number 89018318...well...appear to be available only with the 03 sized fittings. Other then the cooler fitting size the radiator is identical in every way to the 02 one. Spent most of today driving from shop to shop, looking for the unicorn fitting...one with a 20mm threaded side and a 23mm quick connect. There is an O'Reillys in Spokane that I ended up at, they are rumored to be "The Place" to go if you are looking for a Dorman fitting. The specific guy I was looking for was on break when I got there...as he was walking back to his area in the back he stopped and said that fitting does not exist..suggested I go over to this Radiator shop, they have all sorts of odd fittings. Counter lady went in the back and hauled up several cardboard boxes of just loose fittings. After finding nothing...I became frustrated and asked her if she could get me a radiator (failed to mention I already bought one). I ordered a radiator from her, she told me that IF it has the same fittings as the one I already have she will gladly refund my $$, except for the shipping, which I did not pay. Seemed fair to me. Not satisfied...I came home and logged onto some of the Diesel forums I used to frequent. Only way around this fitting issue is to replace the 3 cooler lines (trans-rad, rad-aux cooler, aux-cooler to trans) and the 2 fittings on the trans. My auxiliary cooler is new...and this answers why it came with 2 sets of fittings.

Things should not be this complicated.

Counter Lady at the Radiator Shop told me that she shows 2 radiators available. She showed me the list of folks waiting for various different items that simply are not available.

All of the above pretty much ruined my weekend plans. I was going to shoot a trifecta this weekend. Tonight was going to be the motocross track, tomorrow was going to be Renegade and Sunday was going to be Walla Walla. I will be going to the Motocross track tomorrow night. The Pro race is going to have a $12500 payout. Hopefully there will be more then the usual 4 Pros that show up. Probably best I didn't venture to far from home this weekend anyways...the Ford Corkscrew Canyon fire is putting up a helluva fight. FEMA has coughed up some funds to get additional crews and equipment, this is the highest priority fire in the state of Washington last I heard.

 

[67Dart273]

Somebody needs to trek "to Detroit" and just beat the living **** out of some automotive engineers. There was, is and will never be a good reason for not only this "musical parts" but even so many different types. Hope the rain will slow some things down up there, but there's always the lightning thing.......................

 

[MoparLeo]

It is not the engineers that assign part numbers. Those are for inventory/bean counter purposes. Parts are evolutionary. They may change in their details but not their applications over the years. Always have.
Should not be a surprise to anyone who has ever bought a "replacement" part for anything, not even automotive related.