How was I able to drive 2000 miles the in the last month?

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Topic author
DHort
Posts: 2461
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:30 pm
First Name: Dave
Last Name: Hjortnaes
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 24 Speedster, 20 touring
Location: Men Falls, WI
MTFCA Number: 28762
MTFCI Number: 22402

How was I able to drive 2000 miles the in the last month?

Post by DHort » Fri Sep 13, 2019 4:33 pm

I drove from Milwaukee to New London MN and then from Milwaukee to Detroit and back. There is no reason why you cannot do the same thing. If your car will go 50 miles, it will go a thousand miles. What did I do?

1. Adam Doleshal helped me rebuild my rear axle. That way I know it has bronze washers in it.
2. Adam Doleshal rebuilt my entire engine and transmission with a scat crank. Now I have trust in the engine, and never had to add oil.
Adam has a trick for that.
3. Gery from Berg's radiator sent me a new radiator. The old one might have done it, but now it is a spare.
4. Mike Kosser sold me an ECCT with all the fixings. I have read enough on this forum to know this is the best way to set up
your coils. I am sure coils set on a Stroboscope or HCCT would have worked, but this gave me more confidence.
5. I personally know Dean Yoder and Steve Jelf. Both encouraged me to take a journey.

Out of all the travel the only problem I had was the muffler and Dallas Landers helped me with that.

I should also give credit to my wife who almost never said anything against the Model T. She knows where I am - in the garage.

Everyone out there from the Milwaukee Model T Club, the Dairyland Tin Lizzies, the Speedster group, etc. have supported me. Thank you.


KeithG
Posts: 661
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2019 3:00 pm
First Name: Keith
Last Name: Gumbinger
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '14 Touring, '26 RPU, '27 Fordor, '27 Touring
Location: Kenosha, WI
MTFCA Number: 4661
MTFCA Life Member: YES
MTFCI Number: 6866
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: How was I able to drive 2000 miles the in the last month?

Post by KeithG » Fri Sep 13, 2019 5:03 pm

Hi Dave, We enjoyed reading about your tour and glad it went very well. You prepped the car well and the results show it. Congratulations!!!

Keith
'14 Touring, '26 Roadster Pickup, '27 Fordor, '27 Touring
Motto: It's hard to build a garage that's tooooo big! :D


SurfCityGene
Posts: 600
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2019 3:00 pm
First Name: Gene
Last Name: Carrothers
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 Torpedo Roadster
Location: Huntington Beach, Ca
MTFCA Number: 22905
MTFCI Number: 23068
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: How was I able to drive 2000 miles the in the last month?

Post by SurfCityGene » Fri Sep 13, 2019 5:48 pm

Dave, Tell us some more about your adventure with the T. What kind of timer, average speeds and roads did you use? how often and what service did you do during your trip. What would you do different next time. Did you have a high compression head, overdrive or aftermarket carb?

I'm sure others are interested as well.
1912 Torpedo Roadster


Adam
Posts: 1411
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:57 am
First Name: Adam
Last Name: Doleshal
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘13 Touring, ‘24 Touring, ‘25 TT dump truck, ‘26 Tudor, ‘20 Theiman harvester T powerplant, ‘20 T Staude tractor
Location: Wisconsin
MTFCA Number: 23809
MTFCI Number: 1
Board Member Since: 2000

Re: How was I able to drive 2000 miles the in the last month?

Post by Adam » Fri Sep 13, 2019 6:57 pm

I also offered advice to stay at the Dearborn Inn...

User avatar

Doug Keppler
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:28 pm
First Name: Douglas
Last Name: Keppler
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 Touring
Location: Fredon N.J.
MTFCA Number: 49716
Board Member Since: 2016

Re: How was I able to drive 2000 miles the in the last month?

Post by Doug Keppler » Fri Sep 13, 2019 7:16 pm

All I have to say is that is Awesome Dave!!
1924 Touring car
There's No Substitute for Proper Lubrication


Aussie16
Posts: 208
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2019 9:24 pm
First Name: Warwick
Last Name: Landy
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1916 LHD USA Touring 1916 RHD Canadian Touring 1916 Pickup
Location: Trarlagon Victoria Australia

Re: How was I able to drive 2000 miles the in the last month?

Post by Aussie16 » Fri Sep 13, 2019 7:53 pm

I really enjoyed the coverage of you trip in your other post. You are correct,if your car will go 50 miles, it will go 500! You have, however got the knowledge and done the preparation to do long tours. Many folk head of on tours and are under prepared and dont know how to deal with problems when they come up. This is when things come undone. I love long drives and wish I had more time available to do them. did you find any jobs to do on your car when you got home?


Topic author
DHort
Posts: 2461
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:30 pm
First Name: Dave
Last Name: Hjortnaes
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 24 Speedster, 20 touring
Location: Men Falls, WI
MTFCA Number: 28762
MTFCI Number: 22402

Re: How was I able to drive 2000 miles the in the last month?

Post by DHort » Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:29 pm

Gene

I basically have a stock Model T 1920 Touring. No different than it was 99 years ago when it came out of the factory. It has a straight through NH. No overhead valves or high compression head. The speedometer is not hooked up, so I sort of use a Magneto meter. When the meter is at 22 volts, I know I am going 28-30mph. The car is comfortable there. When I go higher than 32mph the noise level increases and I slow down. I am not in a rush to get anywhere. I had no maintenance at all except for the exhaust. I have not used a drop of oil. Thanks to Adam's little trick, the pan does not leak. I will have to take off the left rear wheel because grease came out, and that is not uncommon. Maybe I put in too much before I left.

I do not know if you saw the box I made to hold a small 12V battery to power my phone or the GPS. I have to charge it every night if I want to use it all day. Both the phone and GPS want to put me on the interstate, so I sometimes have to look at maps and find a different way to go. As you are well aware, I did not look that close and ended up on Hwy 14 in Michigan which has a posted limit of 70mph -oops. Little scary, but you deal with it. Just like the rain starting as you get to your campsite.

I have done a number of shorter tours in this car. I know it will go 100 miles safely and bring me home. I recently added a gooseneck to carry a spare tire instead of putting it in the back seat. I have a big red light I can attach to the car if it is getting dark. I also have a small LED light I can put in the tail light, although you cannot see that as well. It is a two man top, but I can put that up in about 5 minutes. There are a bunch of tools under the back seat including the wrench for the exhaust pipe. Both of my cars have had the exhaust pipe come loose, so I carry the wrench with me and now I have the pipe clamp with the tab below the nut.

I hope you are also following Steve Jelf and Dean Yoder. I think Steve is almost home. Dean will be driving from Iowa to Hershey PA next month.

Next time I would not drive around Chicago on 45 and 83. I would go farther west and make my trip longer. Or I would drive around Chicago on a Sunday, not a Tuesday. I had to play golf on Monday you know.

I wish I could find someone to drive with on a journey. It is more fun to have at least one other car with you.


John kuehn
Posts: 3907
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:00 pm
First Name: John
Last Name: Kuehn
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 19 Roadster, 21 Touring, 24 Coupe
Location: Texas
MTFCA Number: 28924

Re: How was I able to drive 2000 miles the in the last month?

Post by John kuehn » Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:48 pm

That’s a good story about the trip in your T. You mentioned it’s basically stock. Did you up grade the the steering to 5 to 1? I have a 21 Touring and was thinking of the steering upgrade. Thanks and good luck with your T!

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