Car modifications and faults in France, seeking clarification on required work and reporting on damper and clutch issues.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 11\3\ 03-page514 | |
| Date | 31th August 1931 | |
| (Handwritten) To Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /Rm. {William Robotham - Chief Engineer} From F.H. Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} By {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} /SS {S. Smith} 87941. Seen by By We are instructing on the panels involved to be loaded into FRANCE. By 31/8/31. Hotel de France, Chateauroux(French test region). FRANCE. (Typed) re. 25-BM. We have received your memo. Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /Rm. {William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 2/HS. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} 26.8.31. You state that it is not desirable to keep the car in France any longer than can be possibly helped. This leaves us in doubt as to what is really wanted with this car. Will you please let us know whether the following parts are to be fitted, and what amount of testing you wish to be done after these parts have been fitted. (1) Special Inlet Valves. S.80131. (2) The modified torque reaction dampers which I brought out to be fitted. (3) Increased mileage to satisfy ourselves with regard to the mild steel silencer parts fitted. (4) Your request of altering the load of the front hydraulic dampers. (5) Whether or not we have to make a general examination of the car. We have already examined the rear shock dampers and found that the squeaking you reported was due to the failure of the bijur supply to the ball ends of the hydraulic connecting links. This failure has been caused by stones hitting the pipes, which are not protected on the brake actuating shafts, causing the joints to fail. This is the second time this failure has occurred during the mileage. The N.S. rear shock damper load has fallen from 120 lbs. H.P., 110 lbs L.P. to 100 lbs. H.P. and 80 lbs L.P. Also slack has again developed upon the return of the lever. The O.S. damper poundage was correct. We have already verified that the rattle from the clutch pedal is caused by an engine period which reacts on the clutch trunnion causing the pedal shaft to vibrate. When the bearings of the clutch pedal shaft are new, there is sufficient damping to check the periods in the shaft, but as wear takes place in the bearings, the whole shaft vibrates. The brake pedal would also vibrate, but is held in the off position by a fairly strong spring which prevents that pedal from vibrating. It would appear that a similar damping scheme would probably overcome the rattle from the clutch pedal. | ||
From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).