I also converted an old MTB to touring. I mounted an adjustable bar stem which helped quite a bit, put on 2 position bar ends, of course the Brooks B17. The bike was very comfortable for long rides. My only gripe was: When fully loaded (front and rear racks) the bike was very twitchy. Meaning under heavy peddling the bike would swerve side to side. Not the bike's fault, just the geometry.
So, after a number of week long rides and being convinced that I needed a new bike, I made the plunge into a full touring bike (LHT) and have not regretted it at all