ccs002 76 #1 Posted November 5, 2020 Hello all. I've been a looooong time lurker but I've finally decided to create an account to ask for some help IDing a Suburban I've recently come across. The motor appears to have been swapped so that's not much help. It has a 3 piece transmission and no battery box up front. There are provisions for a battery in the under the seat but i don't know if the were factory or added. There's a solenoid under the seat on the left front of the fender box. I think it may be a 400 or 500 but any more clarification would be much appreciated. I'll post some pictures to hopefully help out. Thanks! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevasaurus 22,959 #2 Posted November 5, 2020 They did not make a Suburban 500, only the 400 and 550. I think you have a nice 400 there.. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #3 Posted November 5, 2020 Thanks for the reply! Yes, I should have put 550, not 500. The 550 had electric start from the factory right? That would make sense then that this is a 400. Only thing that I'm not sure about is I thought the 400s and 550s had levers for the choke and throttle on the hood just above the engine. There doesn't seem to be any holes there unless someone did a pretty decent job of patching it, I'll have to have a look from underneath. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 10,012 #4 Posted November 5, 2020 A 1960 550 would have a square hole in the hood dash for the throttle/choke and a 1961 551 would have a roughly 3” round hole for a cover/key switch 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHNJ701 4,165 #5 Posted November 5, 2020 Maybe @formariz can step in with the engine. Obviously it's not factory wiring With my 551 I removed the wiring and just use the pull start. Some of that older Tecumseh stuff is getting expensive and hard to find. I know I didn't want to take the chance and fry something 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #6 Posted November 5, 2020 Oh yeah, I remember seeing a 401 with a round cover over where the choke and throttle cables would have been on the 400 and 550. So, there should have been a hole of one shape or another there regardless. Hopefully I'll have some free time soon to take a better look and try to get it running. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #7 Posted November 5, 2020 @jabelman I agree on the price of Tecumseh parts really increasing in the last several years. It seems like since they went under prices have been on the increase although I'm surprised by what is still available for them from Tecumseh. I don't have much interest in getting the electric start working on this one either, I've always found good running Tecumseh engines to be very easy to start. I'll get a picture of the ID tag on the engine when I can. I'm pretty sure it's an H60 but can't say I've looked that closely at it yet. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,988 #8 Posted November 5, 2020 The 1960 550 did have the battery and solenoid under the seat. It had a solid hood stand rather than an open one like the 551. Engine was also a Lauson. But it used an updraft carburetor. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,988 #9 Posted November 5, 2020 Can you get a couple more photos of engine and carburetor? On the pro side under the shaft there should be a recess the size of a half dollar . That is the oil pump area. If so you have the correct engine which is about the rarest engine around. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #10 Posted November 5, 2020 It makes sense that they would have used an updraft carburetor with this hood stand as there's no way to remove the air cleaner short of removing the hood stand or the carburetor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #11 Posted November 5, 2020 I will try to remember to get some more tomorrow. Unfortunately i'm fairly sure it's just a pretty common newer H60 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHNJ701 4,165 #12 Posted November 5, 2020 3 minutes ago, formariz said: Can you get a couple more photos of engine and carburetor? On the pro side under the shaft there should be a recess the size of a half dollar . That is the oil pump area. If so you have the correct engine which is about the rarest engine around. So the wiring looks to be original then? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,988 #13 Posted November 5, 2020 Yes wiring would be correct. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,988 #14 Posted November 5, 2020 5 minutes ago, ccs002 said: It makes sense that they would have used an updraft carburetor with this hood stand as there's no way to remove the air cleaner short of removing the hood stand or the carburetor. Engine is a replacement H60 not the H55 it should be. Too bad but that is a good engine anyway. the original carburetor would have been an updraft Tillotson. That was always the first thing to disappear off of those tractors since when servicing was needed no one knew how to work on them. They are rather mysterious and complex carburetors. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,988 #15 Posted November 5, 2020 I would check the other side for that oil pump. You could just have a H60 shroud on a h55 engine. They are identical. Since you have a 551 hood on what is a 550 you never know. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #16 Posted November 5, 2020 The Tillotson updraft carb is a mystery indeed! I've got a 633 that came with the original and a spare tillotson carb. I never was able to get it to start well with either so I replaced it with a Carter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #17 Posted November 5, 2020 I will check for an oil pump. Were they run off of the crank? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #18 Posted November 6, 2020 Here are some more pictures of the engine. I took the homemade belt guide off but there doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary on this side either. I also took some better pictures of the area of the hood above the engine. It's hard to see from the picture but underneath you can see there's a square patch where the throttle and choke levers must have originally been. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 10,012 #19 Posted November 6, 2020 (edited) Yep, that square patch indicates its a 1969 Suburban 400 or 550 hood. since it has electrical that looks original down at the tool box that indicates its a 550. Edited November 6, 2020 by oliver2-44 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,988 #20 Posted November 6, 2020 Yes it is a 550. Too bad but engine is a H60. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #21 Posted November 6, 2020 Cool, thanks for all the replies everyone! Yeah, it's too bad the motor isn't original but it'll be fun once it's running either way. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHNJ701 4,165 #22 Posted November 6, 2020 It's got cool patina, scuff and buff! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #23 Posted November 6, 2020 That's what I'm thinking. Did that on my 633 and a few other things and they've turned out really nice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,160 #24 Posted November 7, 2020 The engine is not as incorrect as you may think. 1960 model 550 used - Lauson H55B-1170 1961 model 551 used - Lauson H55D-2113 which has the same bore and stroke as a H60. The H60-75182E is getting up to spec numbers used in 1967-68. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccs002 76 #25 Posted November 7, 2020 That's very cool. That engine may have been there for a lot longer than I thought. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
