Correction: I don't think there was a deflooding valve on this one. My memory was confused with another Maytag.
Back in the 1960s, when I was just a young’un, I became interested in old, stationary engines and went to my first threshing show. I saw many different types of engines and was fascinated by them all. They ranged in size from minute, homemade model engines to massive, power plant engines.
Meeting fellow collectors was a highlight for me. They introduced me to all sorts of engines - collectors rarely mentioned the Maytag though. Many didn’t consider the Maytag collectible and even scoffed at them. I, on the other hand, recognized the small Maytag’s important role in history. It was responsible for washing clothes, churning butter, and grinding meat. It also powered shellers and grinders on the farm. After doing some research, I found the Maytag to be increasingly interesting. Interest and popularity seemed to be growing among engine enthusiasts as well.
In time I found a Maytag model 72 twin-cylinder at an auction. I bought it, took it all apart, cleaned it, studied how the engine functioned, and finally got it running smoothly. What I was looking for next was a model 92 single cylinder.
Another of what my wife refers to as my “bad habits” was collecting and restoring old tractors. My gas engines were put into storage, and I directed my efforts to the antique tractors. I was working on a project tractor with fellow collectors when one of them began talking of two single-cylinder washing machine engines he had. Seems he had received them in payment for helping the owner restore a tractor. The fella said they had been laying in his pole shed for 20 years, and he’d like to sell them. I inquired about what shape they were in, and he said, “I really don’t know.” He wasn’t even certain if they were Maytag.
I thought now is my chance to get a single cylinder. He named his price, and I bought them sight unseen. When I finally saw them, they lay in a corner, dusty, rusty, and incomplete. I got them home and in the shop and realized I had never seen the likes of one of these engines. It surely had parts missing, and I wasn’t certain I wanted to delve into that mess.
The following year I decided to take my restored engine exhibit to an area show. I thought I might as well throw on two of those engines in hopes someone might enlighten me or offer to buy the engines for parts. When I got my trailer into my spot, I threw the two engines, or “boat anchors”, over the side. I then walked away to go fill my water can for the water hoppers. When I returned, a crowd had gathered around my exhibit. As I drew closer, the show’s official walked over to meet me and said I obviously didn’t know what I had in those old engines, or I wouldn’t have left them unattended. He told me that one of the Maytag was the rarest and most coveted engine ever built. He suggested I get the prized engines out of sight, and I followed his suggestion. They would no longer be referred to as boat anchors.
I could only be at the show one day, but I was glad about it. Throughout the day that crowd of people came back to my site one by one wanting to buy that fruit jar Maytag. They all made astounding offers! I could hardly believe the interest. One man, a show visitor from Iowa, told me the entire story of the fruit jar Maytag.
He explained that the engine was manufactured in 1918 or 1919. Because the gas tank was simply a Mason jar, the model caused many house fires. In the winter, clothes were washed in the house. Vibrations, spilled gas, or hot exhaust near the jar would break the jar. Many were recalled and the Maytag company ceased manufacturing the engines.
After all these hard to resist offers, I decided I would hold on to the engine and restore it.
As misfortune would have it, the flywheel where the serial number was located was completely eaten off with rust, but luckily the flywheels are interchangeable. After wire brushing off the rust, making a new carburetor adjustment rod, and disassembling the engine, I found it in pretty good shape.
I happened to find a speck of royal blue paint that was distinguishable in one corner. I polished up the brass, made new gaskets, and primed and painted the engine. Next, I made an oak frame for it to rest on with wood from my father-in-law’s farm, and my wife supplied a jar for the gas tank.
I have exhibited the engine at several engine shows to the awe of many. At the shows, I was asked not to start it for safety reasons. As of today, I have not run the engine, but you can bet I will run it here at home and make a RU-vid video for everyone to see! Now how do you start this darn thing?
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License code: VT4XX90TD5NYUIWB
3 апр 2022
