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).
Detailed description of a 6-cylinder engine's key components and features.
| Identifier | Morton\M14\ img005 | |
| Date | 18th September 1922 guessed | |
| (6) ENGINE The 6 cyl. engine has it's crankshaft carried in 7 bearings and runs from 150 to 3000 revs. without apparant vibration, and owing to the perfect working of the RR. expanding carburetter and carburation system, it pulls with great torque throughout it's useful range of speed. The journals and pins of the crankshaft are bored hollow for lightness and strength and the crank forgings are machined all over. The cylinder arrangement although appearing somewhat usual, is quite unique, as the pushrods for the overhead valves are on the opposite side to the ignition plugs, which latter are in an extremely good and accessible position, i.e. they are well out of the way of the combustion chamber, well out of the way of oil, and very accessible. The valve gear is particularly silent and remains so; this is due to the great care taken in the design and proportions of the valve operating mechanism. The cylinders are monobloc casting and also the head, which is detachable; all the valve seats are water cooled, the joint beween the head and the cylinders is most carefully proportioned and has never given a moments trouble. (Vastly more reliable than the usual loose heads on a side valve engine.) The half time wheels driving the camshaft and other units are helically cut, and the RR. damped spring drive (patented) is used to give a smooth and silent drive through the full range of speed. The pistons are of aluminium and owing to their design they are light, free from knocks and not liable to seize. Owing to the careful arrangement of piston rings, the wearing surface can be well lubricated without fear of excess of oil entering the combustion chamber. The pressure lubrication is also carried to the little ends of the connection rods, which are extremely light nickel steel forgings. (3) | ||