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).
Issue with the change speed lever on a Bentley 50 car, attributing it to clutch casing deflection.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 111\3\ scan0096 | |
| Date | 15th May 1939 | |
| 800b TO HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wym.{G. Harold Whyman - Experimental Manager}10/JH.15.5.39. BENTLEY 50 CAR - 3.B.50. We are in trouble with the change speed lever continually coming out of top gear on the above car, and attribute the trouble at the moment to the deflection of the clutch casing. We know that this case does deflect .022" and we therefore want to mount the clutch case and gear box with an initial uplift of .020". This means machining the clutch casing face .020" off the bottom tapering off to nothing at the top, or alternatively fitting a tapered packing piece in between the crankcase and clutch case, .020" at the top tapering off to nothing at the bottom. We suggest the packing piece as the simpler method. Will you please let us know when you can do this job. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wym.{G. Harold Whyman - Experimental Manager} | ||