You had to re-thread the manifold? Mine had a proprietary connector on it, but a wrench and a quick run to a hardware store took care of that. IIRC I just had to buy a 1/4" to 1/8" reducer and I was good to go
Maybe they've changed something recently, or we had different models?
This pic was taken while modifying my stock AC unit into a belt driven air compressor. On the far left, you can see my red masterflow, modified with a standard quick connect air fitting.