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).
Grit from tarred roads jamming radiator shutters, causing overheating, and a suggestion to devise a protective guard.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\4\ Scan248 | |
| Date | 1st September 1931 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} When running in France this year we experienced a trouble I have not previously heard of and should be glad to know whether your people have found it on 10,000 miles cars or any others. As xx the result of running over roads which have been tarred and sprinkled with grit, we found that pieces of grit jumped up and got into the bottom of the radiator shutters with the result that they would not fully open. By stopping and clearing these out the difficulty was overcome but it occurred to me immediately that with thermostatically controlled shutters one would not know that the radiator shutters were not opening fully. All one would know is that the engine was getting overheated. It rather looks as if we ought to devise some sort of guard. I should be glad to have your comments. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||