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).
Exhaust sliding joint seizure, a proposed fix, and observations on engine detonations and carbon build-up.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5a\2\ 02-page257 | |
| Date | 27th March 1930 | |
| Handwritten: Reg noted E, noted, Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} noted DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} Handwritten: V.S.S.O. Robins & Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} To Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} From G.W.H Hotel de France Chateauroux. Indre. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} 27/3/30. We received your telegram: EXHAUST SLIDING JOINT SEIZURE SUGGEST YOU GET SLEEVE ON SILENCER FRONT END MADE IN PHOSPHOR BRONZE AND TEST OUT ALSO STAY SILENCER TO PREVENT FORE AFT MOVEMENT ROBOTHAM. We have also received your letter Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RMI/MJ.24.3.30 and 25.3.30. In answer to your telegram, we had tackled the job before receiving it, as the car was held up owing to the pipe having come right out of the silencer leaving an open exhaust. We had previously had the pipe down and straightened it out, but it was, and is, impossible to have a sliding joint at the silencer end. The exhaust as no support and distorts to such an extent, that it will not keep parallel with the joint which then makes it distort worse finally coming right out. The first thing it does is to push the silencer back this happens during the first 100 miles, at the end of 500 miles it has come 1.250" out of the sliding joint and during the next 250 miles comes right out. We have tried all we know with the job before scrapping it. We have sent you a sketch of our sliding joint which up to the present is giving every satisfaction. It was now run over 300 miles and is working O.K. There are no audible blows from it. It supports the pipe as well as acting as a sliding joint. We trust you will agree with us. We thank you for your explanation re the bijur supply to the steering. We are very concerned with the detonations when running with battery ignition ( We mention the magneto for expt purposes only. The timing of the magneto has been considerably retarded but no better results. The amount of the carbon in the cylinder head and on the pistons does not warrant the extensive detonations. We cleaned the cylinder head when the valves were attended to, and the amount of carbon then was very small. We shall be pleased to try the new plugs, but we do not get more than half a dozen fires after switching off at high speed. We always get firing taking place after stopping the car and switching off with the throttle set for slow running. We have now checked the valve clearance for a week (Dead cold) with no alteration in the clearance. G.W.H. Stamp: RECEIVED 31 MAR 1930 | ||