Evergreen Farms, Franklin, IL 62638
This is a picture of a 1944 M-M ‘Z’ purchased new by Mr.
Clyde Oxley of Franklin, Ill. The M-M dealer at that time was Sam
G. Baker of Jacksonville, Ill. I started learning about engines by
working for Mr. Baker, mostly washing parts for his mechanic, Bob
Ray.
The ‘Z’ series came right after the ‘J’ series.
The engine in the ‘Z’ tractor was of an unusual design,
reportedly being of German origin. Having no removable oil pan, no
pushrods, side mounted head, no middle main, ball-bearing front and
rear mains, and horizontal mounted valves, the advertising brochure
stated that it could be worked on by a mechanic sitting on a
milk-stool. Due to the side mounted head, pistons in a stuck
‘Z’ engine are terribly hard to remove.
My father purchased a new 1938 ‘Z’, and as a boy I
remember it as a very nice running, easy to handle tractor. We
finally had a crankshaft failure and I suspect this was a failing
of this engine as the later models ‘ZA’ and ‘ZB’
engines were equipped with middle mains.
This beautiful paint job was the work of a Mr. Jim Edwards,
assisted by son Richard Rees, using DULUX #006DH and a red DULUX
#67404 with a hardener added.
I completely overhauled this tractor ground shaft, valves, rings
etc. and it runs very well.
