In a message dated 2/21/05 7:20:18 PM, personalbsd@YAHOO.COM writes:

<< Do I need the reducer?
Should I just yank this brass sleeve and clamp down to
the plastic feed/return line? >>

Yes.  It's not a reducer.

No.  The "sleeve" is called a ferrule and it has worked its way out of the
plastic coolant line.  It is meant to be retained within the plastic line by the
small lip that is on its end.  Once the plastic coolant line spits out the
ferrule, I'm not sure how to repair it since I have yet to deal with the
problem.  If I ever do have to repair one, I thought that it MIGHT be possible to
heat the coolant line enough to insert the ferrule completely then, while the
plastic is still, well, plastic enough to work, form the plastic over its end to
retain the ferrule and to form a new barb.  All this depends on the
characteristics of the plastic whenever it is heated, but it is worth a shot since the
only alternative is to buy (and install) new coolant lines.

George