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).
Oil filter sludge issues on the Phantom III car, recommending a switch from Price's to Castrol oil.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 144\1\ scan0237 | |
| Date | 21th September 1936 | |
| X1225 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}11/KW.21.9.36. To By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Mx.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} Oil for the Phantom III Car. Trouble has been experienced on Phantom III's in customers' hands owing to the filter for the oil which feeds the silent tappets becoming choked up after a short mileage. Investigation showed that this trouble is confined to cars using Price's Motorine 'C' oil. All our experimental testing has been done on Castrol. We yesterday dismantled the filter on one of our experimental cars which had covered 9,000 miles, and it was reasonably clean. On a customer's car which had only done 1,500 miles, and which had been run on Price's Motorine 'C', the filter was almost completely choked with sludge. We entirely agree that it is unsatisfactory to have a filter in the system which is so sensitive to oil sludge, but we cannot offer an alternative at a moment's notice. Whilst the matter is being investigated, therefore, we recommend that the Ph.III should be run on Castrol 'XL' oil. We are taking the matter up with Price's to let them see what the trouble is. There seems to be no reason at present why Price's oil should not continue to be used as heretofor for the Bentley and 20/25 HP. cars. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||