2055 White resto modding “White Lightning”

Thank you! Yeah she’s had a couple problems but I can always count on her to keep on going. Right now the plan is to do a tear down this spring to check the transaxle and do a new crank seal, along with some other little things. After that I think honestly she shouldn’t have any more issues.

So I haven’t had a lot of wrench time this past week or so. Sometimes somebody you know needs some help with things and that takes priority. Between that and some stress I’ve been under and it’s been a wild couple of days. So now that things are a bit quieter I’m trying to get back on this project, namely the snowblower.

I noticed that the lower bearing on the gearbox (size R16, 2” x 1” x 1/2”) has a missing seal, causing the massive grease build up on the back of the impeller housing that I noticed last summer. So my question is, do I need to replace the bearing or should I just put a new seal in? The bearing feels fine, and honestly I think tearing the gearbox apart is a job that I’d rather avoid considering my crazy schedule. Thoughts?

Hey if you can just replace the seal and it'll hold I say go for it considering the bearing feels good! Sure it's best to actually replace it but if you can get away with it for the winter then replace it next summer.

Tried to put some brackets on in the 12 degree weather, 20 mile an hour gusts... froze my fingers (like always) couldn't start the nuts on because the threads wanted to be a twit about it...

I really need a shop. This working outside stuff is driving me nuts.

Also I am bored out of my mind today...cabin fever something fierce. I'm ready for spring and it's November lol

I hear ya! I can heat my workshed with a propane salamander but I don't have enough room to work on anything bigger than a mini bike in there so I do all my work outdoors too. I have one of those portable garages which keeps me out of the wind at least and that does make a big difference!

Set my valve lash the other day and oh what a difference! Intake on cylinder 1 had gone way wonky and gotten loose. Now she really purrs like a kitten.

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

Tried to put some brackets on in the 12 degree weather, 20 mile an hour gusts... froze my fingers (like always) couldn't start the nuts on because the threads wanted to be a twit about it...

I really need a shop. This working outside stuff is driving me nuts.

Also I am bored out of my mind today...cabin fever something fierce. I'm ready for spring and it's November lol

I was ready for spring in like october

You ever have it where there is something obvious and you just don’t see it and then go OOOOOHHHHH!? Well I was down inspecting the brake caliper (which is worn horribly on the splines….yaaay) and I found a level port for the transaxle. Is that ever going to make oil changes easier! Thank you peerless!

And we’re almost done with the snowblower. Got to get the gearbox mounted and I think that project is done.

Tractor wise not much else is new. If I get the chance tomorrow and I’m feeling good I’m going to rebuild the brake pedal and try and increase the return speed and return pressure. Probably will put more tension on the return spring by drilling another hole for it. Kinda redneck but ain’t nobody going to be able to tell

Got the blower done (FINALLY!) and got 10 feet out of the barn when the belt snapped. Aaaaah….. lovely. But it works at least, and the belt change went just fine so no problems.

Nice! Wow the blower looks almost brand new! Tractor looks great too!

Brianator wrote:

Nice!  Wow the blower looks almost brand new! Tractor looks great too!

Why thank ya! Little distance with the camera helps

I’m pretty proud of the ol gal, looking forward to givin her some fresh paint and a lil TLC this summer

Little mock up cause I was bored. Super excited to get this hood repainted and mounted! And for the eagle eyes among y all yes I know I mixed G8 and stainless but it will all be stainless when I go for final assembly.

And those fenders and the trim piece….so much shiny!!! Going to look mighty minty methinks

Also you can’t see it in these pictures but honestly the more I look at that hood with the current open front and the chrome Bezels it looks kinda like a Shelby Cobra. Neat effect I think but she’ll be getting a grill anyway.

Another mock-up. I like the lights lower I think. No bulbs in yet.



Both my sealed beams blew out and so I put the new ones in the current hood. Glad I bought those spares when I did. Went halogen on the new ones for one very specific reason, and that is snow. Snow blowing invariably covers your lights and halogens melt off while leds don’t. Yes they draw well over 7 amps but I don’t have to worry about freezing. And I still get a charge to the battery, bout 2 amps worth.
Basically not much is new with the tractor otherwise. Still running and driving good. I did get a successful cold start off the battery though at around 15 degrees!

Question for the eaton guys out there: reading the MTD manual it seems that the leak I’ve been having is caused by a loose “vent bolt.” Pardon my lack of knowledge but I know little about hydrostatics, so where would I find this? I scoured the parts lists and schematics and I see no sign of anything similar.

Which Eaton do you have?

Somehow I had missed the hood updates. That looks really GOOD! Nice job.

Brianator wrote:

Which Eaton do you have?

Eaton 11. Bought all I can tell you. Hydros are the one thing I don’t know much about in these tractors. Achilles heel lol

Also I think I’m going to use your muffler idea on my rig cause the old muffler is shot. It’s a great idea

Nevadablue wrote:

Somehow I had missed the hood updates. That looks really GOOD! Nice job.

Thank you! Credit for bending the hood and fenders goes to my buddy. He’s got the 8 foot brake and the 50 ton press and the knowledge that I didn’t at that time. I’m happy with it but I want to see how it’s going to look on the tractor

Around April-may ish I’ll start work back up on the hood and give it a grill, new paint job and mount it up!

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

Eaton 11. Bought all I can tell you. Hydros are the one thing I don’t know much about in these tractors. Achilles heel lol

I have the Eaton 10 in the Mud Duck (was replaced by the Eaton 11 in future models) and it leaks from the main control shaft... I've read the only way to replace the seal is by disassembling the whole thing so I think for the time being, a drip pan is in order! Lol.

I went through the Eaton 11 service manual last night assuming that's what you have and can't find a "vent" or anything similar, there is a hex head fitting that maybe your MTD manual is referring to?


As for the muffler...go nuts dude I did some preliminary testing with it today and seems good but maybe a touch TOO quiet for what I want, I figure I'll drill the outer baffle holes a little bigger for extra sound and flow. Stay tuned for the results so you know if you want to take that path. I will say it would be cheaper and easier to get a tractor muffler from TSC or Harbour Freight (if they have them), I'm $60 in and still have work to do! Lol. PLUS you have to be able to roll the sheetmetal into a tube which you can't really do by hand alone. But it's custom which is awesome to be able to say and adjustable to a degree.

I think that if I build one of the mufflers, I will drill out the exit holes larger on both ends and put those ends INSIDE the muffler.

Drip pans are perfectly acceptable. I worked summers at an airport or two and we had drip pans for all the old radial engine rigs we took care of. Park it, tie it down and slide the huge drip pan under the engine. (They are also necessary for any British motorcycle )

Nevadablue wrote:

I think that if I build one of the mufflers, I will drill out the exit holes larger on both ends and put those ends INSIDE the muffler.

That's exactly what I'm doing!

Brianator wrote:

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

Eaton 11. Bought all I can tell you. Hydros are the one thing I don’t know much about in these tractors. Achilles heel lol

I have the Eaton 10 in the Mud Duck (was replaced by the Eaton 11 in future models) and it leaks from the main control shaft... I've read the only way to replace the seal is by disassembling the whole thing so I think for the time being, a drip pan is in order! Lol.

I went through the Eaton 11 service manual last night assuming that's what you have and can't find a "vent" or anything similar, there is a hex head fitting that maybe your MTD manual is referring to?


As for the muffler...go nuts dude I did some preliminary testing with it today and seems good but maybe a touch TOO quiet for what I want, I figure I'll drill the outer baffle holes a little bigger for extra sound and flow. Stay tuned for the results so you know if you want to take that path. I will say it would be cheaper and easier to get a tractor muffler from TSC or Harbour Freight (if they have them), I'm $60 in and still have work to do! Lol. PLUS you have to be able to roll the sheetmetal into a tube which you can't really do by hand alone. But it's custom which is awesome to be able to say and adjustable to a degree.

I think that’s it. Tomorrow I’ll go out and get a look at it, probably pull it off and replace the o-ring. No idea about torque but I’ll anti seize it and get it ratchet tight. Thank you for the help, I very much appreciate it

I think for the muffler I’d weld the canisters to either end like you’re doing and just use the center chamber as a resonator and set the output to the bottom. Not a problem if it’s quiet for me. These vanguards sound nice but after my existing muffler being as bad as it is I think I’ll err on the quieter side. I think I can do it decently cheap because I can get scrap conduit for the manifolds and output and I have some 16 ga kicking around so I think that it would be reasonably cheap to build and I think that the guy who was kind enough to do my hood has a slip roller so I think I can form it up. But I’ll definitely look into some ready made options and now that I think about it it should be less work.

In other news I put the synthetic oil in (for my reference later this vanguard horizontal takes one quart) and tomorrow I’ll cold start and give an update on that.

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

I think that’s it. Tomorrow I’ll go out and get a look at it, probably pull it off and replace the o-ring. No idea about torque but I’ll anti seize it and get it ratchet tight. Thank you for the help, I very much appreciate it

Don't forget your eye protection and to relieve the system best you can before working on it! Not sure on a torque spec either but I'll assume it doesn't need to be much, maybe 10 lb/ft? I'll see if I can dig anything up

So here’s an update. I looked at the top of the transmission and found no vent bolt. What I did find was a cracked and dry rotted hydraulic hose, so I fixed that with some sealant and wrapped it in duct tape. To clarify, hydraulic hoses can suck air in through cracks and not leak, so it just needs to be air tight. Still building air pressure and getting air bubbles in. I’m wondering if maybe the vent bolt is at the bottom and somebody put the rear cover on upside down, but IDK. I’m really losing interest in fixing this rear end at this point. If I could find a gear drive and swap that in it’d be awesome but I’m limited to the CC rears (not as strong as the peerless) or a borg-warner three speed (like in the economy tractors). Unless I was to convert to belt drive (yeah…no. Not going to go through all that haggle.)

So that’s where I’m at I guess. Try and fix the hydro which may or may not have already taken some cavitation damage or completely redo the rear end. Yay me.

And while I suppose I could just find a good used hydro if for whatever reason this one is internally worn I’m just so sick of the little haggles with these hydros. Gear drives you give them oil, don’t grind them and keep the water out and they’re fine. Hydros you need to mind temperature, air in oil, water in oil, keep the fins clean, and my OCD flares up I guess.

Sorry bit of a rant but I just have no idea what the heck to do here.

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

So here’s an update. I looked at the top of the transmission and found no vent bolt. What I did find was a cracked and dry rotted hydraulic hose, so I fixed that with some sealant and wrapped it in duct tape. To clarify, hydraulic hoses can suck air in through cracks and not leak, so it just needs to be air tight. Still building air pressure and getting air bubbles in. I’m wondering if maybe the vent bolt is at the bottom and somebody put the rear cover on upside down, but IDK. I’m really losing interest in fixing this rear end at this point. If I could find a gear drive and swap that in it’d be awesome but I’m limited to the CC rears (not as strong as the peerless) or a borg-warner three speed (like in the economy tractors). Unless I was to convert to belt drive (yeah…no. Not going to go through all that haggle.)

So that’s where I’m at I guess. Try and fix the hydro which may or may not have already taken some cavitation damage or completely redo the rear end. Yay me.

That's a tough one, not even sure what I would do... Why couldn't you swap in a gear drive?
Do you think you could un-bolt that hydro and just swap it out for a new one?

That sucks but keep at it, you'll get air in from the suction side. How much time and money do you have into it? Have you flushed the system with new fluid? I've read foamy hydraulic fluid can be caused by not only air but also contaminates in the fluid.

I’ve been working on this tractor since april 2020. I’ve got around $500 in the old girl when all the little things add up now, and if I get the rest of everything done it’ll be closer to $700. There’s only one hose going to the charge pump so I should be able to replace it if I can match it up. I think it’s air because there’s air pressure building up in the reservoir, and when I look at the dipstick the bubbles rise and pop. I’m no expert and I’ll have to change the fluid anyway if I do the line so should fix the issue. Just hope the pump isn’t too mangled.