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).
Insights from Chevrolet's Chief Engineer, Mr. Taub, on engine design, including manifolds, spark plugs, and crankcase stiffening.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 126\4\ scan0121 | |
| Date | 2nd May 1936 | |
| Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Les.{Ivan A. Leslie} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Smth. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/AFM.{Anthony F. Martindale} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Std. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/FD.{Frank Dodd - Bodies} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wym.{G. Harold Whyman - Experimental Manager} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Mths.{Reg Matthews} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Swdl.{Len H. Swindell} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/CTS.{C. Trot Salt - Carburation} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/GR.{George Ratcliffe} X1104 Visit of Chevrolet Chief Engineer Mr. Taub to the Works. Mr. Taub visited the Works this week. He is Chief Engineer of Chevrolet. We also have just bought a Chevrolet car. He gave us a lot of useful information about this product, and having the model we should be able to take full advantage of the figures given. (1) Salt Ratcliffe. They are definitely in favour of the 3-port manifold. We should get a value for the slow running of this car with our sparking plug gaps and see if, in view of the induction pipe size, valve size, etc., we consider their idling is anything exceptional with sparking plug gaps such as we use. (2) West. Dodd. Salt. Ratcliffe. Taub says that they are using on the Chevrolet .035" plug gaps and they give a remarkable improvement in idling, fuel economy under ordinary running conditions, and improvement in equivalent distribution. We have tried .030" gap on the Ph.III and the plugs would not fire at all. We should like you to conduct an investigation into what is required to enable us to use these large sparking plug gaps and get something running as soon as possible. We should like Dodd, Salt and Ratcliffe to follow up the results on the test bench and road. (3) Grylls. Whyman. On the Chevrolet, the biggest improvement they have been able to make in engine smoothness has been by stiffening up the crankcase. They have found that the best place to stiffen up the crankcase is where the cylinder block joins the top half of the crankcase. If you examine the Chevrolet you will see that they have a definite web in the centre of the block at this point. Additionally, the section at this point is 5/8" in the middle of the block, tapering to 5/16" at the end. We are putting through | ||