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).
Follow-up report on petrol pump diaphragm failures on a Bentley due to incompatibility with Discol fuel, proposing a new material.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 149\4\ scan0246 | |
| Date | 20th April 1937 | |
| To Lp.{Mr Lappin} from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/JBD.{John B. Dixon - Fuel Systems} c.c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} PETROL PUMPS OF MR.LAPPIN'S BENTLEY 61.FC. AFTER 10,000 MILES ON DISCOL. We issued a report on these pumps (Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/JBD.{John B. Dixon - Fuel Systems}1/M.26.2.37) when the reasons for failure were given. We regret that we did not make it sufficiently clear in the 3rd. paragraph that the diaphragms fitted were of the same kind as the G.5. which was subsequently standardised. That is to say they were treated in Germany with the same Zinc Oxide, but on a poorer quality cloth. At that time we were still awaiting supplies of a thicker cloth which had been sent to Germany for treatment and which on return was fitted to all pumps as G.5. material. We ran this test to find out whether the G.5. dressing was resistant to Discol and we have found it is not. When the report was issued we still expected a better life than 10,000 miles with the G.5. best quality cloth, but since then this has become porous at only slightly better mileage on Petrol. To counteract the latter trouble two layers of oil silk have been fitted in between the G.5. material. The oiled silk is affected by Pyridene, thus we cannot expect this material to resist alcohol fuels. We would like to fit this car with G.5. and one layer of Neoprene on silk as we believe this will resist both petrol and Discol. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/JBD.{John B. Dixon - Fuel Systems} | ||