Re: [ihc] Engine ID by pic

[Howard R Pletcher <n9ads@xxxxxxxx>]

My only insight into why the 401 was used was the official story that we
needed all the 392's possible for Loadstars.

Digging through some price books, I see that a Feb, 1973 price book for
the Travelall shows the V-400 (we had to differentiate it from AMC's 401)
was offered in the 1010, 1110, and 1210 4x2 models.  An automatic
transmission was required.  It was not offered for 4x4 models.  I don't
have a Feb, 1973 Pickup price list and the V-400 is not shown at all in
the Nov. 1972 book I do have (meaning it apparently wasn't available at
the start of the 73 model run), but I would guess the Pickup offerings
were about the same as Travelall--although perhaps not the 1210s if the
pattern followed 1974 below.

For 1974, the V-400 was offered in both the 100 and 200 4x2 Travelalls
(N/A in California), but only in the 100 Pickup, not the 200.  Also no
4x4's again.  But the auto transmission was not a requirement for 1974. 
The T-428 (4.02 low) was an option.  But I can't say if any or many were
built with manal transmissions--I would doubt it.

A disclaimer--the above is what I could glean by going though various
price books which must be done model by model and there may be some
combinations/time periods where the application of the V-400 varied that
I didn't locate.

It makes sense to me that you mostly see it in 1010's as it was perceived
as a lighter duty engine than the IH's.  If you wanted to use your truck
hard, you got a 345/392 and this would be a reason not to offer it in the
larger pickups or in 4x4's.

Of course, this theory doesn't seem to apply to the base 6-232/258 which
was standard all the way up to the 1500 series.  Can you picture trying
to merge into a freeway with a 15,000# truck powered by a 6-232?  (Wait,
I think I was stuck behind one of them the other day!)

Howard