MAYTAG STORY

By Staff
Published on August 1, 1999

11277 Louisville Street, N.E. Louisville, Ohio 44641

I am a 79-year-old who needed a different hobby since I was a
maintenance welder for 37 years.

I obtained my first Maytag at age eight, but moved off the farm
at age 16 (U.S. Navy). Time went on and Dad sold the farm, and I
couldn’t go to the auction on Friday so I lost the Maytag along
with the 1935 square tub washer and sausage grinder.

I grew up kicking this for my mom until we obtained electric and
Dad changed it to an electric motor. An old gentleman from Reedy,
West Virginia, gave me a ’92 and I started cleaning the red mud
off of it. I repainted everything and replaced everything
necessary, but the thing would go ‘pow’ and not start. I
threw it in the truck and took it to a friend of mine who is an
expert on hit & miss engines as well as Maytags. He looked and
checked it all over and could not figure it out. So, I told him to
put it in the back of the truck and I would sell it for parts.

I came home that night, sat in a chair and went over everything
I had done and tried.

Well, the only thing I didn’t do myself was make a new head
gasket for it. A friend made it on the bench and bolted it to the
crankcase. I decided that come morning, I would take it apart, and
lo and behold, I found he had failed to cut out the port for the
fuel to enter the head. I cut it out, reassembled it, and with one
kick it runs beautifully. The only regret I have is that I cannot
find the sausage grinder. It was sold at the farm on Hurricane, in
Roane County, West Virginia in 1969 or ’70. If any of you
collectors out there know where it might be, all help will be
appreciated.

I have since found the gray ghost or long leg square tub washer,
but would like to find the engine and grinder, sold at Red
Burns’ farm sale.

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