1970's International Harvester 1700 truck questions

[juddspaintballs]

I'm getting a (what I believe to be) 1972-1974 IH 1700 2x4 truck for free. The tag says it's a IH 1700 with a GVWR of 27,500#. I think this means is has the MV-404 engine in it and a 4 speed transmission. The owner drove it about 1.5 hours from his house to a camp and left it about 2 years ago. So it was running without issue before it simply sat. The tires are all in good shape. The fuel tank under the passenger side of the cab has a cap on it and it smells like bad gas. Other than draining it and putting new fuel in, cleaning the carburetor, and putting a new battery in, should I do anything to it before I try to drive it home? I'll check the water in the radiator and brake fluid in the reservoir before going anywhere, too. I have the carburetor on my work bench right now so I can thoroughly clean it.


Can anyone tell me a bit about this truck and clue me in to information on the motor? I know nothing about these trucks or engines at all.


The carburetor is a Holley and the stamped numbers are:
454600-C91
LIST-4810-3
1894



Here's a couple pictures:

 

[JESSE1]

You may have to install an oil pressure gauge to know for sure it's working. Pull the coil wire and spin the engine over until it shows oil pressure. Then connect the coil wire and try to start it. May have to pour a little gas down the carb. Since it has hydraulic brakes it may have a 304 or 345 V8.

 

[RickB]

You may have to install an oil pressure gauge to know for sure it's working. Pull the coil wire and spin the engine over until it shows oil pressure. Then connect the coil wire and try to start it. May have to pour a little gas down the carb. Since it has hydraulic brakes it may have a 304 or 345 V8.

Agreed. Most Loadstars I were ever around had 345s. If it is a straight 4 speed less a two speed axle I would doubt it would have a 404 in front of that. Note that IH had an unconventional way of numbering engine cylinders. Important to know where #1 is when tuning, etc.

 

[juddspaintballs]

I was just going off of this chart on Wikipedia:
International Harvester Loadstar - Wikipedia


A 1700 2x4 with that weight rating shows MV-404 on the chart. It does have a 4 speed transmission with a 2 speed axle.
I understand that Wikipedia isn't always right...



So, I searched for International Harvester 196.7 at 4000 RPM (horsepower specs) and a few sources say it's the V-345. As that's a more common motor, that's probably what I have.

 

[Hay Dude]

I had a 76 IH1600 4x4 back in the mid 90’s with a 345 V-8. They were pretty much the standard engine in that era.
The more common optional “upgrade” engine was a 392, which is about 236HP.

 

[juddspaintballs]

I went through the carburetor and cleaned it. Nothing was clogged but it was gunked up in several spots. It should work as designed now. My plan is to take the carburetor back to the truck along with a good battery and a bit of 2-stroke gas and see if I can get the truck to fire. If that goes well, I'll drain the bad gas out of the tank and fill it up with ethanol-free regular and see about making the rest of the truck road reliable enough to drive it home.

 

[RickB]

Read the fine print: (c) Highest rated engine for model.

I believe that you might also have a 1971 model, perhaps a late '71.

I’m not remembering when they switched to a one piece fiberglass hood.

 

[juddspaintballs]

 

[Hay Dude]

Looks like an old hay truck

 

[juddspaintballs]

I believe that to be the case. I intend on taking the rack over the cab off and just having a flat bed (once I put new boards on it). I'm going to take it to the farm and use it on and around the farm. I *might* build a set of ramps to put my tractor on the this truck if I really need to move it.