Fuel Consumption Test in 1920

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Fuel Consumption Test in 1920
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dane Hawley Near Melbourne Australia on Monday, June 04, 2012 - 03:03 am:

Below is a report taken from 'The Register' (an Adelaide South Australia newspaper) for the 15th of September 1920. It is interesting that it is a report of a test made in Melbourne, Victoria.

Note- an imperial gallon is approx 4.454 litres, whereas a U.S. gallon is approx 3.8 litres.
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Victorian Fuel Competition. The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria was not favoured with fine weather for its fuel consumption test, which was held last Saturday. Heavy rain and wet roads re- duced the field, but notwithstanding the discomfort of motoring under such conditions, 28 drivers took part in the test. Each competitor was provided with a special tank containing half a gallon of fuel and flexible tubing to enable connection with the carburettor. An observer was carried on each car. Cars over 15-h.p. had to average 20 miles an hour, and those under 15-h.p. 15 miles an hour. The course selected for the test was not an easy one. The first portion was. mostly rising country, and those who negotiated more than 10 miles had to climb Bulla Hill, a steep gradient. Any kind of fuel was optional, and in the open class any fitment to ensure better mileage was eligible.

—Petrol.—
In class A (15 h.p.) and over Mr. H. Walker (Hudson car) put up the best ton mileage, his figures being 36,219, and his actual mileage was at the rate of just over 15 m.p.g. Mr. W. J. Monteith (Buick) was next with a ton mileage of 34,264, and 18.585 miles to the gallon. In class B (under 15-h.p.) Mr. W. H. Lewis (Fiat) scored 36.438 ton miles, and 31.344 miles to the gallon. Mr. J. H. Grice (Swift) was second with 32.721 ton miles, and 24.126 miles to the gallon. In the open events Mr. F. Eloysdel (Buick) put up the fine score of 43.529 ton miles, and 26.183 miles to the gallon. F. Adams (Austin) was next with 38.163 ton miles, and 20.734 miles to the gallon. Miss P. Cole (Le Gui) scored in the lower-powered open class with 34.032 ton miles and 31.862 miles to the gallon. M. Smith (Fiat) was second with 32.388 ton miles, and 30.128 to the gallon. Using petrol a Ford, fitted with Dyer's atomiser, recorded 27.178 ton miles, and 31.257 miles to the gallon, and another Ford with a Perfection atomiser, put up 31.533 ton miles, and 30.031 miles to the gallon.

—Distillate and Alcohol.—
Much interest was taken in the class re- stricted to fuel other than petrol. S. Hillman (Buick) did best on formulae— his figures being 35.698 ton miles, and 21.233 miles to the gallon. He used Kalij distillate. C. M. Dyer (Ford), using Kalij distillate, put up 35,585 ton miles, and 28.890 miles to the gallon. H. W. Harrison (Ford) using methylated spirit, did 21.175 ton miles, and 20.058 miles to the gallon. R. Jones (Ford), using Kalij distillate, re- corded 29.909 ton miles, and 28.150 miles to the gallon. Using alcohol O. Malingren (Oakland) did 23.989 ton miles, and 15.292 miles to the gallon. Many of the cars carried heavy loads of passengers with a view to bettering their ton mileage figures (based on distance covered, multiplied by the total weight of the car multiplied by 2 and divided by 2,240) consequently their mileage to the gallon suffered. The event was capably carried out by the club's officials, and created a good deal of interest, despite the unfavourable weather condi- tions.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kerry van Ekeren (Australia) on Monday, June 04, 2012 - 04:25 am:

OK, I've got to ask, what is Kalij distillate? what was it's use?
search engines come up with Kalij as a pheasant (bird) and Kalijs as latvian for potassium.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dane Hawley Near Melbourne Australia on Monday, June 04, 2012 - 05:49 am:

Yes Kerry, I can't find anything on it at present. I will do some hunting through adverts of the period and see if I can find details on Kalij distillate.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By kep NZ on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 01:35 am:

Was it made from eucalyptus oil?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Weir on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 07:58 am:

I believe that the distillate may have been casing head gas. Dad talked about running that in the vehicles working on the pipelines in California's central valley.

Sincerely

Jim Weir


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kerry van Ekeren (Australia) on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 08:15 am:

Jim, for what I can read about casing head gas I don't think that would be it, we had no rigs, as in gas or oil until the late 1960's, stove fuel, lighting and forms of heating was mainly kero as the fuel,imported, Kep may be on the right track, or may be t-tree oil, that was distilled as well as eucalyptus.
Any other thoughts?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 08:29 am:

Back about then, or a little earlier, Franklin won a Philadelphia fuel economy contest so handily that aircooled cars were banned the next year. Franklin made hay with that.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A. Gustaf Bryngelson on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 04:03 pm:

Hey Dane,
A better way to describe an Imperial gallon is that it has 5 quarts to it, where as the American gallon only has 4 quarts. I think the term quart must mean something different in Blighty. The good thing about Imperial gallons is that you can get more mile to the gallon, the bad thing is that they usually cost more.
Best
Gsu


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dane Hawley Near Melbourne Australia on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 07:34 am:

I have done a thorough search of newspapers of the period, both through advertisements and articles. The search for references to "Kalij distillate" bring up only the story as printed above, but re-printed in various papers. The only guess I can make is that someone was experimenting with some formula or mixture, gave it that name, used it in the trial, then either re-named it or ceased making it.

Gustaf- 'Quart' either imperial or U.S. is in fact an abbreviation for 'quarter'(meaning a quarter of a gallon, which happens to equal 2 pints) so the relation of a U.S. quart to an imperial one is the same ratio as gallon to gallon. Having said that, you are correct in saying that an imperial gallon is approximately five U.S. quarts, but that is very approximate and in reality an over-estimate as 5 US quarts = 4.75 litres.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kerry van Ekeren (Australia) on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 08:26 am:

Thanks for the trouble you went through Dane, maybe one day we will learn more, for what ever the mix was, for a distillate, it was a excellent result in MPG.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A. Gustaf Bryngelson on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 05:28 pm:

Hey Dane.
Your explanation is more precise, but I like mine better, you should see the look of disbelief one gets from many Americans who do not know there are other units of measure in the world when you explain that not all gallons are the same volume. For that matter, inches vary around the world as well.
Best
Gus


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 07:20 pm:

Now we need a study of mileage with Fords using all the most common carburetors.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mark herdman on Friday, June 08, 2012 - 11:32 pm:

Dane

Here is an Aussie Trophy for a local Fuel Consumption Test, Ford Class in 1925. Note it was a high as 40MPG. The Late Ray Osborne won it 3 times in that year and got to keep the Trophy. (our gallons are a bit bigger than a US Gallon). Ray gave me the trophy back in the 90's. Ray also was the local speedway champion 1926-27 on Douglas then Harley. A larger trophy for open classes for the same dates also exists. Other cars had much better milage.






Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mark herdman on Friday, June 08, 2012 - 11:34 pm:

Ray & His Trophy back in 1991


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dane Hawley Near Melbourne Australia on Saturday, June 09, 2012 - 05:43 am:

That is a marvelous piece of history, Mark. Glad it is in good hands.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dane Hawley Near Melbourne Australia on Saturday, June 09, 2012 - 06:25 am:

Mark, I have sent you a P.M. re the trophy.


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