Any info is good info 1971 international loadstar 1600 carpenter body

[jwrens1100]

Recently purchased a 1971 international bus that has been partially converted into an rv over ten years ago lived in for a couple then just sat for storage until now i haven't moved it yet motor turns over no fire previous owner tried to pull it without disengaging parking brake and broke a rear u bolt anyone with any info is greatly appreciated have original cl post going up with pics of the bus as ive found it

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[Carytowncat]

I love it, it's got character! and ya don't have to worrie about where ya park it.

[jwrens1100]

under hood, not all the pictures are too good of the bus just thought I'd share what I have while i have the time

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[jwrens1100]

Thank you soo much it

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[jwrens1100]

Originally Posted by Carytowncat

I love it, it's got character! and ya don't have to worrie about where ya park it.

Thank you its a dream come true ive had it a few weeks now still hasn't completely sunk in the day it starts up and moves out will be when it really gets real i love ive found this app its amazing

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[cadillackid]

oh cool an old classic!!!!!!!
-Christopher

[crowcreekcabin]

Sounds cool! I can't see your pics, BUT...

I am working on a 1971 LoadStar 1600 Superior Coach..
I have a ton of experience with this vintage gas motor..
Did you get it running?..

[crowcreekcabin]

OK, my bad... got the pics now!..
Mine is the shorty version. Only 4 windows but very similar drive train.
I have been completely through the engine, tranny, brakes and re-geared the rear.
Working on the house part now. Points and bad gas would be my suggestions, also if the engine sat that long without cranking, getting oil pressure built up before starting would be a good idea. Cam bearings tend to dry out and can be a problem after a long rest.

[cowlitzcoach]

All things considered, your bus looks like a real diamond in the rough.

The Loadstar chassis was put underneath a bazillion school bus bodies not only because it was a very affordable choice but it was one of the least expensive buses to operate.

It would appear as if it has an SV304 or SV345 and a 5-speed. We had a whole fleet of buses equipped like that back in the day. We regularly got 6-8 MPG with them. The only downside was the gearing was either a top speed of 47 MPH or 57 MPH.

What was odd was when we took them on ski runs the 57 MPH bus would leave the 47 MPH far behind on the low lands but once they hit the steep parts the 47 MPH would catch up and beat the 57 MPH to the top of the hill.

Don't plan on changing to 67 MPH rear gears. Not only will you use a lot more gas but any little bump in the road will require downshifting. The only real upgrade would be to put in a 2-speed rear end that would give you the grade climbing ability of the lower speed gears and lower cruising engine speed of the higher speed gears.

It would appear as if your bus is set up for a single group 27 or group 31 battery mounted on the curb side of the fire wall. With an adequate alternator (at least 85 amps) it is more than sufficient to start and run that bus.

I hope you did some reading on resurrecting an IHC SV engine. While the IHC engines were built for stout and will run just about forever they do have some weak spots. The most worrisome issue is the top end oiling circuit. Over time they can get gunked up and the rockers and cam can start to not get enough lubrication. It is very important to pre-lube an SV engine before you try to start the engine. If it has gotten dry in there when you go to start the engine the cam bearings will stick to the cam and spin. This will cause major problems with lining up the holes for lube oil and will cause cam bearing failure if not cam failure.

More than likely it will have a Holley carb that has vacuum operated throttle plates. When the vacuum gets to a certain point it will pull the throttle plates closed. It was the governor system used on every IHC chassis bus I have ever seen with a gas engine.

More than likely the carb is toast. When you go to replace it don't think in terms of a V-8 from Fomoco, GM, or Mopar. Their engines have redlines in excess of 5,000 RPM's. IHC SV engines have a redline in the 3,400-3,800 RPM range. As a consequence they need much smaller carbs. 350 CFM is all you will ever be able to use. If you put anything larger you will never be able to get it to idle or be able to run it rich enough to give you good driveability. The best upgrade is to install a fuel injection system. Hamilton Fuel Injection has developed systems that are very simple and relatively easy to install. Hamilton Fuel Injection

Carpenter bodies from that era were really good bus bodies. IMHO it was the class act of school bus bodies made in the east. I would choose one over a Blue Bird, Thomas, or Superior any day. Ward, Wayne, and the lesser known brands weren't even close in terms of quality of build.

Good luck and happy trails to you!

[crowcreekcabin]

Yes, what he said.... Try to bring it back to life gently and it will most likely last a long time. I changed from 6.16 gears to 5.29... 304 would pull all hills in top gear before, but 52mph top speed... Hoping for 57 with lower rpms now. Love those engines! Just plan on taking the 2 lane back roads...

[Tango]

Not a bad idea to pull all the plugs and squirt a little PB Blaster into the cylinders...then bar the engine over gently. That way, if something is stuck, you'll know it before a lot of damage is done.

[jwrens1100]

Haven't had time to do much since ive purchased it honestly made my day with this thank you all i have been researching mostly before doing much it was missing anything to do with coil side of the ignition so have purchased a new coil and in line resistor but weather hasn't been on my side its parked pretty far off road right now but have family events today to get ready for but will get into more details tonight. Thank yall for adding some fuel to the fire it was pretty overwhelming to just jump into working on something that big i grew up working on small engines only a few older v8 engines know general basics but points are a grey area in my book but learning little by little

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[jwrens1100]

Carb and fuel lines are perfect was drained when parked just no fire so far

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[crowcreekcabin]

Sounds like you are on track. Points are not too bad. Careful adjustment can be done, but just to get it running, make sure they are opening and closing, and set the gap with a matchbook cover. If they look decent, eventually they will make a good glove box spare. Take them with you to the Napa when you get new ones because IH had several different style distributors.. Buy a new condenser at the same time. Cheap parts, less than $20 most places, and read up on the finer "points" of adjusting them when doing the final tune up. They do wear out, and require occasional attention. If you want to you can upgrade to a system that will replace points, several are available, but not for $20....

Prelube was mentioned, some of the IH forums have details on technic.
Oops and I lied earlier.. mine is 1972, not 71... just excited about another LoadStar...

Ha!

[cowlitzcoach]

Here is a forum thread that explains a lot of the issues in regards to non-oiling rocker assembly.

The forum is aimed more towards people who are working with Scouts, ScoutII's, and the pickups/Travelettes/Travelall/Wagonmaster people. But since the engines were identical the information will still apply.

I-4 and SV Engine Non-Oiling Rocker Assembly - IH PARTS AMERICA

[EastCoastCB]

Had a scout II with the 345. That engine was a beast! Best truck I ever owned.

[capri755]

Hey man, I know this thread is a bit old at this point but I'm resurrecting it. Did you get your engine running?

I purchased a 76 loadstar 1700 bus a few months ago now. It had only been sitting the better part of 2 years since it was run last. I ended up changing the points, rewiring some bits of the ignition system, rebuilding the carb, flushing the engine, and changing the hoses/thermostat/coolant. After this it fired and has been running well since.

Have been having some brake issues but they're getting sorted.

I've accumulated a lot of information on these vehicles since I purchased mine so let me know if you have any more questions

Hope its going well!

[lemmeskoolu]

I'm thinking of buying a 1972 Loadstar it runs but poorly the carb needs replacing or rebuilt and the brakes lines need to be replaced, are this bus costly to repair?

[cowlitzcoach]

Originally Posted by lemmeskoolu

I'm thinking of buying a 1972 Loadstar it runs but poorly the carb needs replacing or rebuilt and the brakes lines need to be replaced, are this bus costly to repair?

If the rig was ever run on ethanol blended gasoline you are going to have to rebuilt the whole fuel system from the tank to the carb.

The tank will have rust issues, all of the soft parts will be too soft and will be leaking fuel or constricting flow, the pump will probably not pump, the carb will most likely leak out of every joint and orfice, and every filter will be clogged up.

The brake parts are still very much available. Costly is sort of relative. Will the parts cost more than an F-150 brake parts? Probably. But since everything is still fairly available from places like NAPA and CARQUEST the parts won't require mortgaging the ranch.

[lemmeskoolu]

thx so it's basically the repairs/maintenance is similiar to my 1987 camaro resurrection after sitting a few too many years. so off to see how much parts cost, at minimal to get the fuel system rebuilt, brake line and tires!