Investigating the International Pickup.

I installed the starter on the International tonight. I have high hopes of getting it running soon. I know there are things that need to be addressed but I want to make sure it will run before I get too involved in fixing the other problems. I wish this picture could do justice on how heavy duty this truck is. You can't really tell but the flywheel on this truck is HUGE. It's really thick and beefy. I am amazed that it looks so good because the Bendix gear on the starter was trashed. I figured the flywheel would be chewed up but as you can see it looks to be in great condition.

The 2 bolts holding it on are huge also. It takes a 3/4 inch socket to install them.

Here the starter is installed it's ready for the battery to be installed. This pickup is 6 volt with a positive ground so I need to think backwards to make sure everything is hooked up correctly. Ha Ha.

I did a little bit more investigating. The generator looks pretty rough. I will see if it will put out a charge when I get it running. I am going to replace the fuel filter and the run new fuel lines before I start it. I am planning on just starting it off a gas can to make sure it will run. I then will take the time to clean the fuel tank and replace and clean the other fu lines after that.

The oil actually looks amazing considering how long it has sat. I figured it would be sludge but it's not. I am going to squirt some oil in the cylinders before the first run just to make sure everything is lubed properly.

The engine is very greasy on the outside. I am hoping I can get it running and driveable then I will drive it to the car wash and degrease the engine. I am debating on whether to pull the carb and rebuild it or at least clean it up really good or try to run it the way it sits. Maybe I should see if I can even locate a rebuild kit for it. That might make the decision for me.

The radiator is in rough shape also but the antifreeze looks good in it. I am pretty sure I will have to take it down to a radiator shop and have them go through it. Again, I will worry about that after I know it will run.

This is the oil filter. It's different from what you see on cars today. I am going to have to figure out how to clean this because I really don't have a clue.

Here it is installed in the housing. I think I will change the plugs out also before the first start.

The distributor looks OK and the points are moving good. I may change them. I will at least check the gap on them.

The rotor looks bad so I am definitely going to change that out.

I am excited to start the engine up but I don't want to cause damage by not doing it properly so I am going to take my time and make sure everything is OK beforehand. My Dad bought me a service manual for this pickup. It is a nice one that the dealer mechanics used back in the day. It has over 600 pages and I am really happy. I already can see a ton of questions I have on this truck and that manual will be a great help. It should be a lot of fun getting this old girl to run. I am having doubts on keeping the drive train all stock when we have better technology that is available. I think that the 50's technology is what gives this truck a lot of it's charm. If I can get it running and driving safely and keep up with cars that are on the road today I will keep it the way it is. If not, well then I will convert it to disc brakes, power steering, and a small block V8. Time will tell.