Leaderboard

Well went to see Dennys502 in MN while on vacation last week and picked up this 400 he was giving away. Story has it this came from VA after the owner was injured on a WH (not this one) and he told Toro he didn't want it. Toro legal possibly had it shipped back to MN where Denny worked for Toro and legal asked him if he wanted it. He planned to do somewthing with it but since he is now retired and too busy...lol... He wanted another member to maybe have a crack at it so here we are. Still awfully nice for him to give it away and i promised that if I can't do anything with it I would pass it along to someone else here. We believe it to be an early 60's hence the Clinton motor and seat with out holes. More pictures of it and a different thread once I get going on it.

Since I know jack about a Suburban I will be looking for lots of advice and help here on what to do with it. Leaning towards a parade tractor. It's not in real bad shape and the really nice thing is everything is pretty much there. after getting it home i did try and start the engine just to see if it would run before teardown.. Has spark, missing the recoil and gas leaks out of the bowl drain. Did get it chug once but didn't spend alot of time with it yet. Compression doesn't seem to be the best. fron wheels are real badly rusted due to the cloride in the tires for weight.

Well this one is all done... was hoping to have it to the Big Show but decided to leave her home... maybe next year! If you watched the build... Thank you! The final vid is linked!

Hi All, Thanks for being here and all the threads and topics. Such good information. Such a good group of people. What a great hobby!!! I've been "tinkering" with my 1966 656 Wheel Horse. 6 Horse HH-60 Techumseh motor. Got it in not running condition. Spent most of last year just looking and imagining what could be. Took a few small parts off and painted or cleaned them. Like all of you, I only have so much time i can put into a project like this. Life, work, chores and family obligations always have to come first. This weekend I decided to make time for myself and some higher "tinkering". Grew some and finally stripped and painted a body panel(The rear fender). I only did the top half, assuming i'd just have to strip it again when my shabby painting skills sat atop the 50 year old metal. I'd painted this and that but nothing that really mattered like a body panel. Much to my surprise, it came out great!!! All I did was take it down to bare metal, wiped the dust off, hit it with a solvent, let it dry and BOOM!! Rattle can heaven!!! I am soo happy!!! I had no idea it "could" be that simple. My experience has always been bad with this type of thing. After reading threads and learning quite alot from you guys I have had some great successes. It runs(not the paint, LOL the engine!!)!!!! It's getting some paint!!! Now It's really getting some paint. I already can tell that this will be the first "freshening" of the old horse. As I learn more from you guys and hone my skills I'll want to do a better job in the future. I'll post some pictures soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Randy

John Fisher and I live about twenty minutes apart and for the past ten years or so have conveyed together to the Big Show. It gives you peace of mind knowing that if you have mechanical problems there is help nearby and a couple of times there were problems. This year the trip was uneventful if you don't mind driving the four and a half hour trip home in a driving rain. After we split up a few miles from home John had a near tragedy. As he turned on a back road about three miles from home, his trailer jack drug on the road. He thought that he had forgot to raise it when we pulled out so he pulled over to check. What he found was scary. The whole receiver had broken loose from his motorhome and was hanging down. The rear metal plates when the receiver was welded to the motorhome chassis had rotted away. The front ones were holding, barely. The part that was hanging down was also where the safety chains attach so if the front plates failed the trailer with five 'Horses on it would have come loose and been a runaway missile. The consequences could have been deadly, at the least the trailer and 'Horses would have been wrecked. Lesson learned? Get under your tow vehicle and check the welds, condition of the metal, etc. Basically the structural integrity of the receiver especially if you tow a boat trailer and/ or live near the seashore. John was lucky, you might not be.

Brain Science or Rocket Surgery isn't too far off!

Very nice find, and can't beat the price! Also agree on a early 60 400 going by the early belt guard, solid seat pan, and the clinton engine. I would say leave it as is, just clean it up well fix mechanical stuff and paint the rims, they are pretty hard to find in this condition.

Thanks 953 on the restore advice as I am leaning toward new paint & and satisfy my stainless hardware craving. Deck does not have wheels.

3 up top, 2 underneath.

Getting ready to load for Portage WI thought I would snap a few pics of the herd (not all were able to make it). Enjoy Thanks for looking Tom

Went on a little road trip to the southern part of the state today to pick this one up... Kind of a wierd story behind it all. A little over a year ago I was at the Kent CT tractor show with one of my RJ35's. I got to talking with a guy who said he had a RJ "with the belts" and "sitting in my barn"... I get these kind of stories all the time... so of couse I had to ask if it was for sale... answer: No. So we talk a little bit longer and I wright my name and number down and asked if he changes him mind to give me a call... 9 times out of 10 I never hear back... But this time would be different. Last Monday I get a call from the guy saying he and I met at a tractor show over a year ago.... and he was ready to sell his RJ35. At first I had no memory of the original encounter and had no idea what he was talking about, LOL! It wasn't after about 5 or 10 minutes talking with him that I started putting it all together... long story longer we set to meet today and what does he pull out of the "barn"? A sheet metal frame 1956 RJ35 with a "no-name" hood and original iron steering wheel... Now don't get me wrong it's got issues but nothing I haven't fix in the past or cannot machine an original part for... And it came with a plow and the original belt guard! I will be uploading a vid to my youtube channel tonight of this little RJ, so we can get up close and personal, LOL!

It is definitely a 1960 Suburban 400! A very nice gift and even though I am one of those "it is only original once" people, you should build it to your desire, not anyone else's. Thanks for sharing the story and photos.

Welcome! 200 series tractor generally don't bring in high dollar. I would say your most money will be had on craigslist or ebay for someone looking for a good reliable mower. There are some people here too that may be interested in a lawn tractor too, but like I said, not as many. I would guess $250-450 depending on how it was restored. Maybe higher to just the right buyer.

welcome to RS, looks like it's going to be one beautiful horse

Welcome to Red Square. That 1054 looks sweet.

I plan on leaving either 1:00 or 5:00pm on Friday depending on work and weather

Thanks guys... The plan is to clean and straighten everything out... turn it into a nice driver for the tractor shows next year. Finally got my vid up loaded to YouTube... "HD" files take forever at times to up load.

Hi Everyone, I am the WHCC Newsletter, and I need your help, you all have seen the pictures from the big show, and you all have such wonderful stories to tell, I want to be able to share these stories with other enthusiasts. If you are not a member of the club, I would encourage you to become a member. They are working hard to help collectors and other enthusiasts out with the big show, I found parts there this year that I have been looking for over a year. Please if you would like to submit an article to the newsletter please let me know, the club and especially the Newsletter would not be without all the amazing members that are out there. In case you are a member but did not make it to the meeting, I am trying something new for the next newsletter, I will be working to send out the Newsletter via email to those that want it that way. It will be in color, and although I will still be limited to the size (depending on how many decide to get their Newslett via email) it will be in color. Please help me out, I know there have got to be some great stories about your time at the show, so here is your chance to let everyone know. If you need help writing it, I can help...I just need the jist of it and some pictures. Please help me out and dont make me beg!!! Karen Thackeray kthack657

I hope you paid that toll for two vehicles and not one. I'm sending the WOLF after you!

Glad to have you aboard. Mike (@MikesRJ) has a really nice RJ. Maybe you can talk him out of it. LOL.

I have seen several suburbans with clintons on them and I'm guessing they were just used up from previous years. And yep those belt guards aren't too common, they were used on early 400's and are similar looking to the rj58 guard but not quite the same.

@jwl Jeff would be a good place to start. I'm tagging him.

Portage show must be huge if yer bringin that herd all the way from Medford and I am only 30 minutes away! next year for sure

Excellent reading Randy. If you can get a Techumseh running, you can probably paint anything and it will look great. We are looking forward to the pictures. I love the short frame square hoods. BTW, I just picked up an 876 2 weeks ago. We'll have to meet in St. Charles and ride around the town some day.

Sweet mother of red garden tractors, what a herd. I like them all !

the deck looks to be a little older i think the 1961 deck had the four little wheels on it.

Sorry, I couldn't get back earlier to thank you for all the information. I can't seem to post from my computer at home so had to wait until work today. RedRanger thank you for the photos. Very nice looking tractor you have there. That picture helps a lot. I'm not sure why my machine has that extra idler wheel or what it does but I tried to hook up a belt around it and it goes around but the that idler wheel gets really hot... the inside sleeve was starting to turn blue from getting so hot and then the belt came off. I think I can take that idler wheel off. Ours is missing that extra guide that bolts in front of the top pulley and I think thats where the idler wheel was fastened spinning on the bolt. Have to try to figure out how to lower the blades next. Thank you again.

I see a different front axle, and it's not an RJ hood Steve. Still it's a great pick up.

I am a firm beleiver of total fuel system maint when you are having trouble like this. Flush fuel tank, replace the fuel cock as it has a filter screen that is next to impossible to clean. Replace fuel line if you suspect any issues with it, or if it looks aged. Check fuel flow from fuel pump while cranking. It should pulse fuel, put your finger over it and see if it can build a little pressure. If not, replace pump. Now you have ruled out proper fuel flow (TO) the carburetor. If it still acts up, a carb cleaning / rebuild should be done. Soak overnight in chem dip if you can.

That is sad. Perhaps an intervention . . . cut said oxygen hose and back a trailer up

Hello and That tractor is looking great. Keep us updated on your progress.

Looks like... you may have needed that ol' Chebbie more than you realized.

Aldon, thats a good call, however my fuel shut off is leaking, so I'm running from a petrol/gas can. My plan was to try n tweak the carb to get it running as best I could, but this problem kinda put it on hold. I will order some new sparking bits and try again with the filter off, I will also try to up load a vid of it running.

I agree with Ken on this. It is too bad for you that you couldn't score a good project, but the love of this herd is what keeps him going. I would hope he has a friend or two who will act on behalf of his estate to find new homes for them. We lost a member of our antique tractor club this spring and several of us have helped his widow sell them off slowly.

Go look out the window... your new A-81 cuts a nice lookin' yard.

Looking good Norway!

you are not getting enough fuel i would start by cleaning the carb

Yes, connect the ignition switch to the 'S' and just ignore the 'I' terminal.

Bingo...we got a winner.

I used to live down that way. North Cove north of Marion. If I can figure out a way, I'd love to attend.

Back to the horse - I recently had the same symptom and mine didn't end well, loud knocking. The photo is what I discovered upon removing the flywheel cover - probably 49 years of dust. I think it overheated (maybe oil was too low also, it was at the bottom of the range on the dipstick). The rod is broken but I haven't gotten it completely disassembled to assess other damage. At first I suspected a stuck valve but they are working correctly. I'll be cleaning and inspecting under this cover to prevent this from happening again.

Family affair - - -Welcome to RedSquare

Welcome to Redsquare! Mike.........

Take it apart - you know you want to.

Issues with a starter solenoid can arise when the internals of the solenoid become pitted and vaporized from repeated high current arcing. This is a very easy condition to check by measuring voltage drop across the solenoid terminals. Set your meter on low volts scale (2 volt or 20 volt scale). Connect one lead of the meter to each of the large terminals on the solenoid. Crank the engine with the spark plug temporarily disconnected. Note the voltage reading on the voltmeter. Whatever voltage you see on the meter is indicative of a power loss in the solenoid - power that should be going to the starter but is being dissipated as heat in the solenoid. Typical voltage drop in a solenoid should be much less the 0.5 volts (half a volt). If you see one or two volts dropped across the solenoid, a replacement is needed.

Well the old bird is starting to come together... the rear drive is completely rebiult and she is standing on her own feet!

Got tired of reaching down to control the lift cylinder, so with the foot control mod done, I just keep bending metal. Used 1/4 inch rod to match original.