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).
Road test report detailing numerous mechanical and performance issues including damping, speed, fuel consumption, and clutch problems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 11\3\ 03-page052 | |
| Date | 25th April 1930 | |
| To: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} From G.W.H Hôtel de France Châteauroux. 25/4/30 We are forwarding a copy of a report sent to you, which evidently would not arrive before you left Derby. The car is not running at all bad generally. The worst feature is the front of the car. The damping is not sufficient and on any kind of road the front is boucing, you are thrown up in the driving seat. It seems to be the upward movement which is at fault as we do not feel the effect of hitting the buffers hard. The riding in the rear seats I think is O.K. One can read a paper comfortably from 10 to 60 MPH and on rough roads we do not get that truck riding effect. The engine as no definate rough periods. I should say it is a decided improvement. We are very disapointed with its maximum speed 76 MPH is about its true limit. I have had 80 and over on down grades. I tried this to see what the engine felt like at this speed, its quite O.K. from roughness. I tried 3rd gear and found that I could almost get 70 MPH without the valves boucing. We have altered the carburetter as you will see by the report we were getting a consumption of 8 MPG with the jets set correct for slow running and high speed. We are now getting over 10 MPG with altering the setting of the air valve diaphram and enlarging the air ports in the air valve. We get a correct metering at all speeds. We have coured the front brake squeak tempery, hope to have the definate arrangement fitted by the time you arrive here. The rear axle as got a period at 57 to 63 MPH and there is the same feature with the pinion housing as with the twenty five. A very definate slackness when the axle is hot. The exhaust system is so far quite sound. We cannot observe very much movement in the sliding joint. The noise from the exhaust is better than previous cars. The hot spot we do not consider a sucess, in fact I should say its usefullness is a failure. We do not get the heat when it is required, i.e. slow running and normal speeds. I have felt at the Carburetter several times and the exhaust pipe and they were hardly warm. I have had one bad case of building up after running slow for five minitues and the exhaust explosion on retard and opening the throttle. The radiator shatters are keeping the water temperature a little too cool an average of 70°C, we want 80°C to be effective, it is operating fairly satisfactory. It does not always close after cooling down. The clutch is not so good as standard, its passible, but evidently to obtain the freedom in the serrations they have gone to far, there is too much backlash which is causing a bad clank in the drive when running slow, also when the clutch is disengaged. We have got the camshaft squawk, I have tried both Castrol oil and Shell to see whether there was any difference in the lubricating qualities but there does not appear to be anything in it. The extra oil seems to be working O.K. no piston knocks have been heard starting up from cold and no oiling up of the plugs are apparant if the extra oil is inadvertly left on. The steering is selective and there are joggles but have had considerably worse. The radiator keeps quite steady and so far the suspension is O.K. I trust the car you have is giving satisfaction. G.W.H. | ||