How to Identify an International Scout V8
by Floyd Drake IIIIntroduced in 1960 to compete with the Jeep CJ-series, the International Harvester Scout was one of the America's first off-road sport utility vehicles, produced until 1980. The Scout was offered with four, six and eight cylinder engine options, however, only two V-8 engines were made available on the International Harvester Scout series - the 304 and 345 cubic-inch V-8s. Although the Scout was occasionally equipped with engines manufactured by American Motors, all Scout V-8s were manufactured by International, so the International 304 cubic-inch is not to be confused with the American Motors' 304 with the same displacement.
Step 1
Open and secure the hood to access the Scout V-8, if still installed in the vehicle. Look for the distributor at the front of the engine. The distributor has a plastic cap with wires running to the individual spark plugs at each cylinder. All International V-8s have the distributor located at the front of the engine, whereas most V-8 distributors are located towards the rear of the engine.
Step 2
Locate the machined pad on the side of the engine block. On the passenger's-side of the engine, towards the front, midway down the side of the engine block, there is a flat surface, or pad. The pad is located just above the fuel pump and may need to be cleaned with a scraper, wire brush and cleaning solvent.
Step 3
Identify the Scout V-8 engine displacement. Stamped on the pad is the International V-8 engine displacement, which reads either "V-304," or "V-345," identifying the 304 and 345 cubic-inch Scout V-8 engines.
References
Things You'll Need
- Putty knife, or scraper
- Rags
- Wire brush
- Cleaning solvent, such as de-greaser or brake fluid
Writer Bio
A native of New Haven, Conn., Floyd Drake III began writing in 1984. His work has appeared in the "New Haven Register," Medford's "Mail-Tribune" and the "Ashland Daily Tidings." Drake studied journalism at Southern Connecticut State University. After working as a reporter in Oregon, he is now based back home in New Haven.
