How I found a FRUIT JAR MAYTAG ENGINE | Now somebody please tell me how to start it.??

[@danrowlen7247]

I remember how my grandma started a machine that looked like this. She had a cotton rope about 18" long. She would wet it and then ring out the water. It had a knot in one end and she would wrap the rope around the flywheel and it pull. It started every time. They kept the wringer machine out in a shed so if it caught fire it wound only burn down the shed. In the winter Grandma would carry a basket of clothes out through snow to do the washing in the shed. She would be bundled up with a heavy scarf around her head to keep warm. Before washing she would build a fire in an old barrel and boil water in a big pot. This hot boiling water she would dump into the washer tub. The steam from the hot water would make the shed fill up with steam so the shed was wet and cold at the same time. The ringer was a hand crank wringer. She had a stick for stirring the clothes around and feeding them up to the wringer because the water was boiling hot and would burn your hands. After washing she would carry the clothes back into the house and hang them up for drying. Some were hung in the bathroom, some over doors, etc.

[@OzziesOddities]

That was smart thinking. I'm afraid those wash machines started a lot of fires. I bet it was nice hanging those clothes up inside in the winter too, because the houses could get so dry in the winter. It was a lot of work to do a load of wash that way but then again you just wouldn't find the need to do laundry quite so much in the winter.

[@maytagmark2171]

I believe you and I talked on the phone a while back, maybe a couple years ago? Mark Shulaw from Bluffton Ohio Your story of how you got the engine is the same as a fellow I talked to before. So you may have called looking for parts or some answers. I sell new and used parts for all the Maytag engines so I talk to a lot of people.

[@OzziesOddities]

Good to find you on youtube, thanks! I believe my son ended up ordering a few things from you, really pleased, and then I think he reached out on Facebook and didn't get a hold of you, but then ordered a couple things from your eBay store too later on. Really happy to have found out about your business as a source for parts, and generous with your knowledge. I actually just took the fruit jar apart and put it back together. I thought I had done that before but it sure didn't look like it when I got it apart. Would make sense why my memory was missing so many details. Found the de-flooder, think that might have been a good part of the problem. Before I took it apart I got a few pops then flooded, came back to it, and no more pops. Another piece is I'm just getting reacquainted with the personality of these things. It might be part unfamiliarity, not knowing just how the carb wants to be treated and such. I did get a 92 going in the meantime without much fuss so that was good practice. Really appreciate you checking in here. My son took a video of me making gaskets with the fruitjar apart, showing all the pieces and whatnot. The video turned out flickery in the lights of the shop so it won't make youtube but it'll be a good reference. Thank you for your help!

[@jjohnston7837]

I never could have imagined watching a video about a fruit jar engine but, I'm glad I did. I'll let you know if I ever find one 😜

[@OzziesOddities]

You never find it when you're looking for it. Thanks for finding our channel!

[@colinsalter3516]

Interesting little enginec. Thanks for posting.

[@OzziesOddities]

Thank you! Thanks for finding us.

[@huck01955]

Very cool love the story . i hope to find one 1 day . I have a 92 and a 72 and an upright .

[@OzziesOddities]

Keep your eyes open. You know what you're looking for so you're a step past me.

[@lilsportie06]

Congrats on 100 subscribers Ozzie and crew!

[@OzziesOddities]

Thanks for being the copy editor!

[@williamchristopher1560]

I have a green Matag washing machine, with 1938 painted on the bottom of the tub underneath. This wsas my wifes grandfolks washing machine. It has a 40s looking tub, but has a long aluminum handle that moves forward or backward to engage or not. It has the old 1920s wringer on it that spins like the 40s white models did. It has a small aluminum handle on top of the wringer. You turned it one way or the other to activate the rollers, and if you pushed down on the knob on the handle u can turn the wringer like on the 40s models. I bought, so I was told, the last 2 rolls for the wringer in their St Louis warehouse. We used it decades ago, but havnt used it in nearly that long a time. I have the tub under cover outside, and the wringer in a spare room in the house. Dad said they ran the hose out the door outside on the enclosed porch. He said that when he was a kid grandma had a washing machine that had a flywheel with a handle on it, and it was his job to keeper crankin. Said he hated wash day. First he had to get the water from the outside cistern at the other end of the house, carry it through the back enclosed porch, through the kitchen and out to the front porch where the machine sat. Samr as i and bro had to do. Mom had one of the white Matags with the red knob. Once mom bought one of those wafer things with 50 little holes in it that you plugged into the water in the machine to heat the water, It shorted out. Our buckets were the buckets we used to milk the cows, and they were metal. When we poured the water in the machine, wed get shocked until the last stream was out. mom liked to listen in on the party line, and she could, or she thought she could tell when someone was online tho i never heard the phone make a noise. One day we was washing, and she told me to run the clothes through the wringer. She went to the phone in the living room, and sure enough someone was on the line to hold moms attention. I started running clothes through the wringer into the wash tub. Handkerchiefs were infamous for wrapping themselves around the wringer, which, in time one did. I grabbed it and the wringer grabbed me. I panacked and started yelling for mom. She said shiss. But when she looked she saw it taking up my arm, and came out and hit the release, a thing I coulda done if I hadnt been so scared to think straight. The people on line found out somehow that mom was listening in, and started speaking german. She could tell they were talking bout her as they spoke the name in english

[@OzziesOddities]

Ohh boy I'm glad you didn't come out of that one too serious. I hope whatever she heard was worth it! They were neat old machines. I'm not too good at remembering all the different models and variations like you can. I know what you mean on the water heater accessory thing.

[@davidhouser301]

My grandfather had one similar, except the cylinder was rotated 90 degrees, so the exhaust was facing up. I never saw it run, but he said he had a a cloth strap on the flywheel that started it.

[@OzziesOddities]

That's neat your grandpa had one. The fruit jar is the only upright I have. Most of them were like your grandfathers. Interesting he got his going with a strap. I've got this one torn down right now. So pretty soon there will be a video with all the internal guts. And hopefully in a week or two we'll have it running. Thanks for sharing and for finding our videos.

[@EngineVids]

When will you do a video of it running?

[@OzziesOddities]

Whenever I get it running to tell you the truth. We have a bunch of other videos that my son just needs to edit, other maytags and such, but the fruit jar I haven't quite had luck with it yet. It's not the original flywheel, I wonder if that's not what's giving me problems.

[@OzziesOddities]

Happy to find your channel!

[@classictractorprofessor3747]

Im not 100 percent sure, but the starting mechanism was probably mounted to the washer itself, same as the model 82. They didn't start mounting the kick pedal to the engine until the 92 came out. I've seen a lot of people start them by a quick hand turn of the flywheel, works well if everything is tuned right. Nice looking piece of history you have there, most of us only dream of seeing a fruit jar Maytag, much less owning one

[@OzziesOddities]

Thanks very much! I hope we can get it dialed in enough that it will just pull right over with a turn of the flywheel. We also just saw that some guys use a socket on a power drill to turn it over. You Maytag folks have surely been kind to us. We're crossing our fingers for a runner very soon.

[@classictractorprofessor3747]

@@OzziesOddities will be following along...can't wait to hear her run again...I've heard of the drill trick before, never have had to try it...though I do have one cranky old 72 that I've threatened to a few times LOL

[@Bigdaddy1992.]

Very interesting

[@OzziesOddities]

Thank you! You've got a very nice Ebay store. I like the old magazines. I saw an old fishing book from 1969. Would love to find something like that from our part of the state. It's really fun to brows your store.

[@Bigdaddy1992.]

@@OzziesOddities what part of the state are you from

[@OzziesOddities]

@@Bigdaddy1992. Southeastern.

[@chriscampbell2327]

Have you tried a drill to spin the flywheel to start the engine?

[@OzziesOddities]

I have now yes thank you! Just needs a little tuning and we'll be able to do a running video. It's kinda just been sleeping in the corner of the shop waiting for me since we've been busy with other things in the meantime.

[@silverbullet7434]

Wouldn't take much to make a valve for the lid on the gas bottle. Brass bolt spring drill a couple holes in the bolt a brass rod for the valve and a few O rings. You could wrap a leather strap around the pulley with tight first wrap and two winds on the pulley a quick pull should start it.

[@silverbullet7434]

Oh ya better tell the wife n kids how rare it is. When you pass ya don't want them to get snickered out of them.

[@OzziesOddities]

That's a good idea on the valve! I should look for a good example picture. I think you're right on the leather strap. We know of a few different ways to crank it over now, but it'll need a couple more parts and a little tinkering to really take off on just a hand-throw of the flywheel. I'm not super handy on these Maytags. I'd been through a few of them years ago, but these guys on the internet are just wizzes at getting them going. But I tinker and I try and eventually we get it all working.

[@OzziesOddities]

Well I guess that's kinda a big reason we're making these videos, to preserve some of the knowledge and record of this stuff in the family. The family supports this stuff so they'll figure out how to handle it. And if not, I guess I won't have too much to say about it...

[@adamberndt4190]

I'm sure you know this by now but there's a video here on KZbin where a guy has one running, just look up "Maytag Fruit Jar Engine". Check out his video and just follow his steps in starting and operation.

[@OzziesOddities]

Thanks Adam! I ended up tearing it apart and putting it back together. Looks really good inside. I'm still missing a little something, maybe timing. I get some pops but that's it. I'll figure it out though.

[@maytagmark2171]

And yes the Fruit Jar engine has a deflooder Valve.

[@papatonysworkshop6584]

What a great piece of machinery. I have an old McCormick Deering motor from I am gue30'sssing the 20's or 30's. I have been told it is an old washing machine motor, but was also used for irrigation pumps and a multitude of other applications. I hope someone can help figure out that fuel delivery set up. I have added a couple more video as to my channel as you had suggested. I hope you get a chance to look at them when you get a chance. As always, I look forward to your advise. I will be doing my best to catch up on all of your latest videos!!!

[@OzziesOddities]

That sounds neat. I'd love to see a video on that. Very happy to see you've got some new videos up. I can't wait to check them out.

[@clarencetrice4442]

I haven't a washing machine W that engine IM sure there was a pedal on the washing machine that U would step on on 2 start it most likely I will look and see what I can find 😊😊 they were painted royal blue was the paint color please let me know thank U 😊😊 OMG 1O 5 2O23

[@KYKAYAKER274ey1]

Not sure but a flat leather belt pull start just a guess

[@OzziesOddities]

That's a good idea. I found out that there was a kick starter on the washer that turned these over. We've found a way to rig it up to start it, just needs a little more tuning and we should be able to get you folks a video of it running.

[@michiganhay7844]

I had an old stationary engine when I was a kid that an old timer who collected them and restored them gave me by the time I was in high school I was stupid and gave it away boy that was dumb

[@OzziesOddities]

I've seen your videos, you're not dumb. Most guys are in their 50s at least before they get interested in the old engines. I'll bet that old timer saw your mechanical ingenuity and maybe that's why he gave it to you. You're sure using it now.

[@amtr4u2c]

I use a drill and socket to start mine