strange ad for skoolie

[CrabbyMilton]

This guy is asking a bit much but read on to validate my point.
I just found this by accident but I would guess any powertrain would fit.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/School-bus-1955-International-skoolie-short-vintage/183635557712?hash=item2ac1883d50:g:-58AAOSwwgBcLrwS:rk:14:pf:0

[oltrunt]

I expect the guy could get $7500 for that old bus if he held out for it.  A rust free oldie like that is hard to come by for those who want one.  Jack

[Jim Blackwood]

The SV series I-H gas engine should drop right in (392 etc) and isn't hard to find in reasonably good condition. A 5 speed manual (OD and non-OD) is available. Suitable for HD usage. Odd gearshift pattern though. Torqueflite automatic is another option. The 700r4 adapter that I developed and ended up giving to Advance Adapters may still be available.

Jim

[CrabbyMilton]

Or the 6.8L FORD V10 with the 6 speed FORD automatic.
That seems to be a favorite for BLUEBIRD VISION
as well as just about every FORD based airport/hotel shuttle.
Or a CUMMINS or POWERSTROKE diesel with an ALLISON.

[Jim Blackwood]

Well yeah, or any other engine you'd like to swap in for that matter, but the IH-SV was the standard International powerplant for decades. And it IS an International chassis.

Personally I prefer the Bluebird body. Taller ceiling.

Jim

[HB of CJ]

Considering the semi collectible nature of the vehicle a nice cool mundane 392 International V8 beckons, along with either a nice Fuller 5 speed or perhaps a 6 speed synkro manual tranny.  The 392 is a good mill.  Gear driven cam.  Valve rotaters.  Stiff iron block.  Some had forged steel cranks.  That engine can easily be boosted up with causal parts.  Just another aspect of this fun crazy hobby. 

Edited Extra:  Or ... if one is crazy enough, a nice 6V53TI with a RTO6610 begs.    Do not forget the Jake. 

[Jim Blackwood]

If you had your pick, 1970 or 71 were especially good for the 392 as you could get the good ports without the EGR injector humps. Shave the heads about .090" to bring up the compression, swap in a hotter cam and better valve springs and it wakes the engine up. Headers are available. In addition to the above it was a high nickle block so cylinder wear was slow. At 100K miles it might only need the cross hatch freshened up. The pistons had a steel insert for the top ring. Sometimes that would pinch the ring and cause it to stick but could be fixed easily by cleaning out the ring groove. Exhaust valves were sodium filled so umbrella seals on those allows some lubrication. At over $30/valve it's a good idea.

Built as a bus and box truck engine, the SV was the mainstay of the medium duty line but was also directly used without modification in the light duty vehicles where it always outlasted the truck, sometimes by a factor of 2,3 or more where bodies were replaced by more rust free ones while the surplus engines were nabbed for buses and medium trucks.

Jim

[CrabbyMilton]

Those were indeed good skoolie engines and they offered them forever.
Contrast it to now where NAVISTAR is all but out of the engine business at least in IC school buses.
CUMMINS diesel and PSI gasoline and propane V8's.
They really flubbed with the FORD POWERSTROKE disaster partnership.