Picked up a 1960 suburban

[Kelly 1,028]

I picked up the second load of tractors today from last weeks haul, almost didn't fit them all on the trailer and it's a 18' car hauler, anyway I got this suburban in the deal, have not messed with it much, has spark (lit me up holding plug wire when my son yanked the rope ) first question is the belt guard correct?? I think it is for a RJ, second, what keeps the steering shaft from sliding down and the bottom gear getting caught on the steering linkage??, third, is this rear lift anything close to orig.?? it has a link to raise the deck, forth, is the deck engagement pedal orig. and would you have to hold it forward to mow?? over all it is pretty nice even has the hard to find choke and throttle with cable and link, in very nice not rusty shape, they are laying on the engine, the hood was off, I put it on for pictures, all the extra stuff on the front, I think was for a plow is a bolt on and I think in factory holes, and I will be removing the rare shampoo bottle muffler, I'm going to get it running then it will be for sale, I have others that interest me more.

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,059]

Kelly,

Is that belt guard flat with no cross stamp? If so that is an indication that it is a early model 400. Nice !!

[Kelly 1,028]

Yes it is flat, but I've had a few RJ belt guards and a few suburban guards, this is shorter from top to bottom like the RJ, not more triangle like the suburban.

[evanloock 217]

The belt guard is correct for an early Suburban. The 2 lock collars on the steering shaft keep it from sliding down. The mower clutch pedal is correct and yes you have to hold it down to engage the mower. The rod to the rear of the mower is correct, but the piece in the hitch is homemade. The original part was an "L" shaped piece of flat iron stock.

[Kelly 1,028]

OK thanks, there are no lock collars on it I can pull the shaft right out the top. the roll pin is removed at the gear, or it slides with help down out the bottom now. another question, is this suppose to have a rope recoil or the cable style?? it is the rope type now.

[horsefeathers 15]

Kelly

, I'am not the go to guy here! Just thought I'd add what my '60 400 has.

The belt guard looks the same flat, my '61 has the raised cross pattern.

The mower pedal is the same, as is the slot hitch but not the atachement.

The diamond foot rests are correct as an "option" as have been told.

You have the steering problem figured out.!

my tractor has the rope recoil on a k191.

I see yours has the exhaust heat guard mine does not!

by no means consider this as gospel! Just a compairson!

Looks like you made a very good haul there!

Com'on brother let us in, how do you do it??

HORSEFEATHERS!

[tgranthamfd 28]

I don't think I have a 60 model deck on mine because it is that style with wheels on it, but it has a little lever that can be locked after you depress the pedal to engage the deck belt.

[evanloock 217]

The K-91 31388A had the Fairbanks-Morse recoil.....used a rope unlike the Schnacke that used a cable on the RJ.

[hcminis 1,532]

What you going to ask for the suburban? PM please

Here is what my linkage looks like from the back. This is original I believe.

[dandan111 31]

Nothing more entertaining than dad getting a little ZAP. Im sure the boy got a kick out of it! -Nice tractor

[wheel horse 1045 2]

be honest ,did he laugh when you got lit and how is he doing since his accident,hope hes doing good

[Kelly 1,028]

Yes he got a kick out of it, normally it is him getting lit by the plug wires, and yes he is doing good after the accident, Thank you.

And I'm thinking running and cleaned up in the $400 range, it really is in pretty good shape and not real rusty.

[Kelly 1,028]

Ok I messed with it a bit tonight, pulled the extra junk off the front, and it runs on carb cleaner, I took the carb off to clean it, thinking I might just spray it out and put it back on, wrong, it was kinda gummed up, not real bad but I figure I will do it right, I disassembled it, and put it in my soaking carb cleaner for a day or so, I buy carb kits by the dozen so I have them on hand when needed, and when you have as many tractors as I do you need them, the engine spec no. is 31388A so it is a correct K91.

Now I have a few other questions, where was the kill switch mounted?? is this the one in the throttle plate?? the trans casting is H13-9 does that make it a 1959 casting?? adding to it being a early 400, and is the trans drive pulley correct??? and again is this a suburban belt guard?? looks like a RJ to me but I know very little about the early tractors

[wallfish 16,023]

Kill switch is to the throttle assembly. You should see a screw with an isolator, the throttle lever would contact the washer and ground it.

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/index.php?...topic=16625&hl=

I don't think that drive pulley is correct.

That is not an RJ belt guard. It's kinda halfway between the RJ and the newer triangle style. Also the RJ guards wouldn't have a hole that large, just the shaft sticks through the guard.

[evanloock 217]

The belt guard is correct for an EARLY Suburban; as stated earlier the stop for the engine is an insulated screw that the throttle lever makes contact with when moved to the rear of its travel; no the drive pulley is not original; you need a 1611 pulley; still available from Toro if you want to cough up $70+; you should be able to easily find one on eBay or from another collector.

[linen beige 14]

Here's a pic of the belt guard off my 400 and, since my Dad bought it in '60, I KNOW it's original.

Looks pretty close to me!

As mentioned, the "kill" switch is incorporated into the throttle lever. Mine also has a kill button on the points cover. The throttle lever method was not all that reliable so my dad always kept a paint stir paddle in the tool box so he could push the point cover button without burning his arm on the exhaust.

Just out of curiosity, what's the serial number? It should be stamped into the throttle/choke lever cover plate.

[Kelly 1,028]

Thanks Jim, I don't have the serial tag