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I'm a fan-translator, translating from Oriental languages to English, and I've been told to translate "uncle" to "old man", since a direct translation would imply a familial relation where there was none.

I just discovered that Google gives one of the definitions of "old man" as "an affectionate form of address between men or boys." But none of the dictionary sites say anything about "between men or boys," just something along the lines of "an affectionate term used in addressing a man." So have I been using it wrong, or is it okay for females to use the term too?

In my experience, from my region near Appalachia, women use "Old Man" in reference to their father or husband/significant other. I wouldn't use it in a translation unless the people were from a region in America where it is used. I think too sometimes it is used by lower socio-economical families. A woman may describe a stranger as an old man, but she would not call him such when talking to him. It's more like a term of endearment. I have heard children referring to their parents friends as "uncles" or "aunts" as a term of respect, which did cause some confusion about cousins on the playground. We would not call a stranger uncle. If you gave us more context of the sentence you are working on, we may be able to help find the correct term used in conversations.

Eastern Vs Western

British Vs American

Regions can have significant different interpretations.

In England if said by a girl with an affectionate tone could be used to describe her father or if she is older then her husband. Conversely it may be considered impolite to say "old man" about others with a certain derogatory tone.

I asked my daughter when she would use "old man" her reply was never.
She did use "Uncle" for older family as normal or elder cousins and on occasion for church elders.

However she does say "old boy" as in

You know that old boy down the road.

But it would be reserved for those past retirement age (noticeably old)

However I am lead to believe that may have a totally different connotation in manga.

A safer related word for use in translation (though considered archaic) may be

You know that old gent down the road.

however avoid using the plural "old gents" unless the subject is clearly people

Note: This was made before this comment from OP:

Ah, I wasn't referring to "uncle" in English as in a relative, but in Asian languages like Japanese, where it is normal to call any middle-aged man "uncle." So in English I just translate it to "old man" to refer to unrelated older men affectionately.

I've heard "old man" used for "father", although, mainly from sons, not daughters.

Its use for uncles at all, is new to me.

I think, "Uncle" as a affectionate term, is usually used for family friends, usually mainly through the parents, as to have an "uncle-like" familiarity with them or something.

Give an example sentence and its translation, and we can decide further?