How to UnStick a maytag

i have had the pleasure of just recieving a maytag 2 cycle engine. it was in a flood once and has been stuck for the last 20+ years. it sat in a 5 gallon bucket of fuel-oil for the last 10 years.

its piston is stuck. what would be the best way to get it un-stuck?

If the piston is stuck above the intake/exhaust ports a good method " this is for a single cylinder Maytag." get a 1/2" pipe reducer to a 1/8" and thread in a 1/8" zerk fitting into the reducer and screw it in the sparkplug hole and use a hand grease gun and start pumping the cylinder full, it will usually break loose.

Michael, There is no easy way to do this. But what I have done in the past is to undo all head bolts. By this time you may be able to get a screwdriver or socket (whichever is applicable, can't remember which) to undo the rod cap bolts. At this point with the heads off the crankcase make a grease zirk to fit where the spark plug goes, seal all intake and exaust ports and fill with grease with manual grease gun. The pressure should get to a point where you will hear a pop and the piston should start to move. Or scrap it for parts and buy another one. Stuck twins are a BEAR! Most I've seen have had the pistons, rods, or both destroyed trying to free them. Twin pistons are thin alluminum and are damaged extremely easily. Hope this helps. Kevin

How do you seal the exhaust and intake ports ???? I have a stuck single cyl with the top of the piston covering half of the exhaust port ? Vic

I have unstuck dozens of Maytags. To do this most eficiently you need the following tools: 1) a torch, a cutting torch works best, but a cheap propane torch might get it done with a lot of time involved. 2) some lead from car wheel weights, battery terminals or wherever. 3) A tractor or something else with a good hydrualic system. 4) a 1/2" hydaulic hose or 1/2" pipe with coupler to fit tractor and 1/2" pipe threads on the other end to fit into the spark plug hole.

Take the 4 bolts out holding the jug onto the crank case. Remove the carb. You may need to turn the crank shaft so you can get the nuts off the rod cap. If it's really rusty you may need to apply some heat to the main bearing areas to get the crank to turn and you may need to use a big pipe wrench on the ratchet wheel to turn the crank. If you can't get the cotter pins out of the rod cap bolts hammer on a 7/16" socket on to them and unscrew the nuts. The cotters will shear and you can easily remove the remnants later.

Once you get the cylinder and stuck piston off on its own, clean the ports as best you can with heat and a screw driver or a pick. Melt the lead and pour it into the intake and exhaust ports. If the piston is below the ports go a little at a time to get them to seal and then pour them full. Fill the cylinder and hydraulic line full of oil. This is important. If the cylinder has much air in it the piston will come out like a bullet. Use the tractor's hydraulics to force out the piston. When the piston is out, melt out the lead with the torch. You won't have near the mess as with grease. I have unstuck the worst boat anchor single cylinder Maytags with this method. Good luck!

Easiest way to get a Maytag unstuck is get ahold of Marvins or Simpsons in the ad section ( http://www.enginads.com/bizcards.shtml ) of this web site and buy a different set.

Depending on where the piston is stuck I have had luck with with propping the cylinder (rod up) in my weber grill and build a fire around it, let it cook for awhile and poor ice cold water into the piston. Another idea is build the same fire but put oil in the piston and alittle above the piston and let it cook for awhile (heated oil will get hot and become real thin and will seep into piston/cylinder wall).

great ideas! i will try them out asap. i am determined to get this family jewl runnin!

Thanks for the ideas. Much appreciated Vic

If you try the oil it the cylinder heated in the barbeque method be sure to set-up away from any buildings or flammable material.I have used this method on larger engines and can be quite effective.An older gentleman near here spent several years building a scale model locomotive.He had it all done and sawed minature ties for a short track.He set an open top barrel on a small rise behind his shop and filled it with used oil to treat the ties.He put ties in The barrel and built a small fire under the barrel to warm the oil.Soon the oil boiled over fueling the fire and the flaming oil ran down the rise into his shop catching it on fire. He got badly burned rescuing his engine but lost his shop,lathe etc. as well as a back building housing an original Stanley steamer automobile!

Tom's idea is good. Have also heard of using wax for sealing the ports and melting out when done. Keivn

well the grease trick worked great! thanks!

now how do i get the crankshaft un-stuck???

Put it on a cookie sheet, and put it in the self cleaning oven. Set it to clean, and wait.... This one you got to do when the wifes out shopping, and clean all the grease and oil off it first!

[Keith Smigle]

Mike~

You say the grease meathod worked, but what idea did you do to seal the ports? I am doing the exact same thing to the cylinder jugs of a 2-cycle marine engine.

BTW Kevin~

Wax will seal the intake ports?!? The grease pressure will not just blow the wax out? I can see molten lead working, I just find it hard to believe wax will work.

~Keith in Delaware, oHIo

i sealed the exhaust by putting a piece of steel plate in between the exhaust pipe and the head.

for the intake port i filled it most of the way full with solder that i had laying around the shop, then i used a punch and packed that solder in there real snug. then i filled it the rest of the way with more solder till it had a lump of solder sitcking out of the port. then i put the whole works in my vice so the intake port was being clamped where my solder was sticking out.

worked great.

as for my crank, i am guessing i have to heat the hub that holds the flywheel to get it off because it is stuck on. once i get the flywheel and ign. parts off i should be able to get some heat to those bushings on the crank. what are the bushings made of and how much heat can they take? thanks!!! this board rocks!

To get your flywheel off, screw the retaining nut flush with the end of the crank. Hold the engine up with one hand by the flywheel, and strike the end of the crank shaft hard with a lead hammer or brass hammer. You can also use a regular BFH (big freakin hammer) but you may need to dress down the crank and and chase the threads with a die after you get it off. When you hit it it should pop off its taper.

Iv'e never broken or bent a single cylinder crank shaft doing this. I have even placed the terrible rough engines on the floor with the nut screwed completely off and struck the end of the crank hard with a 16 pound hammer. This will work for the tough ones, but hit straight on. If you miss you won't have a flywheel or ignition left. Before you do that though, put a jaw puller on the flywheel rim being very careful not to put too much pressure on the weak aluminum flywheel rim. With the puller set up with pressure on it strike the puller bolt. This may pop it off as well.

DO NOT get carried away on twin cylinder models because the crank shafts are weak, brittle and also bend.

The bushings are bronze. They will take a lot of heat because they are surrounded by cast iron on the outside and steel on the inside. Bushings are readily available so if they are worn or junk they can be replaced.

Keith, I've never used the wax method just read about it somewhere. I think on the exhaust port it would be back up by a steel plate bolted to where the exhaust manifold screws go. The intake ports, same thing although making the backing plate to fasten to the bolt holes is a little more involved. The grease method has worked for me. The trick was getting the plate and gasket to seal over the ports without leaking through under pressure. The lead idea does sound better and a little less messy. Kevin

bad news, as you know, i got the piston free just fine, but the crank is another problem. i just cannot get the hub/flywheel off. to top it off, in the process of trying i have destroyed the flywheel by accident. i think this crankshaft is too stuck to fix so i need to find another 1 cyl. maytag engine that has a broken cylinder or a bad piston so i can complete my engine.

thanks all for your help!!! you have been great!

Hate to hear that!!! There are several vendors who specialize in Maytag stuff and can help you with what you need. I have been there myself usually with me it is my impatience trait that gets me into trouble and cost me $$$$ and grief!!! What ever you do don't get discouraged there is a lot of parts available and just think of the excitement you'll feel the first time that little engine fires and runs .

Denny

I can help you with all your parts needs with the single cylinder kick start engines, most twin cylinder parts, Model 82 single main bearing horizontals, and uprights.

Tom Stevens stevens@fbx.com

[Ray Cardoza]

I would be carefull about putting a engine part that is filled with wax into a oven and turning it on. It can hit it's low flash point 300 degrees and you would have some fun trying to explain why you're house went up to the firedepartment
and everyone else. Besides collecting old engines and other fine "junk" I make candles and I have had some close calls with wax reaching its boiling point and going into its vapor form. You all can figure out what can happen from there with the vapors yes it is able to level most of the home or engulf it in fire!