A Not So Fast Engine

[rake60]

I'm a recovering antique small engine junkie.  ;)

The pride of my collection is this 1934 Maytag washing machine engine.



I bought is as a basket case from an eBay auction and had it restored to a running
state in 4 days.  I do love to see the old iron come back to life.

You can see it running for the first time in many years at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkoII8hsg8w

Rick

[Brass_Machine]

Rick,

Is that the one I saw run?

Eric

[rake60]

Rick,

Is that the one I saw run?

Eric

Yes it is.
It had been sitting in the garage for 6 months
before you were here and started on the
first kick.  I was impressed by that!  

It is a simple design from a simpler day.
I'm quite positive that it would not pass current day EPA restrictions.
They were a loud and smoky 2 stroke hit and miss engine.

In the 1930's the farmer's wife found a way to fix that.
They would place the flexible metal exhaust hose from the engine in a
5 gallon bucket filled with water.  It would greatly muffle the noise, and the
oil and smoke stayed in the water instead of drifting across the yard to
the clothes that were drying on the clothes line.

Would you believe they didn't have a CAD program to design that on!
They didn't even have an engineer there to tell them how to do it!  ;)

Rick

[Brass_Machine]

Unbelievable. That engine fired right up... was very cool. Thanks for showing to me when I was there.

Eric

[rake60]

Careful Eric!

Show an interest in my antique engines and I'll flood you pictures and videos!

I have a 1935 Briggs and Stratton Model Y that at one point was my oldest engine.
After I had it restored and running I drug it out of the garage and started it up to
show my Dad.  I proudly told him that it was oldest engine I owned, made in 1935
and still running.   
He said: "Go easy on that old comment.  I was made in
1935 and I'm still running!" LOL

Rick

[zeusrekning]

I have always played with Briggs engines but they are the new ones. I would love to get ahold of one of these old beauties. Good work Rick.
Tim

[rake60]

OK here's a Briggs Engine.



That is a 1940 Briggs Model WMB.
It was also a washing machine engine.

Before the Rural Electrification Administration of the 1950's
85% of American farms were without electrical power.
They DID have electric generators that were manufactured by Briggs,
but most labor intensive task of the day was laundry.

A video of it running after it's restoration can be seen here:

Rick