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).
Investigation into intermittent misfiring issues caused by internal leakage in 20-HP K.L.G. ignition plugs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 58\3\ Scan054 | |
| Date | 14th January 1924 | |
| BY c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. HFC. c. Wd.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead} V/918 C. EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}8/H14.1.24. re. 20-HP. K.L.G. Ignition Plugs. We still continue to receive complaints from customers and inspectors of intermittent missing fire of which they have not been able to supply definite symptoms, or definitely able to get down to a cure. Also when investigating these complaints, we have not been able to reproduce the faults complained of. The only definite move we seem to have been able to make in connection with this job has been to change the ignition plugs, when the trouble has disappeared, but by replacing the old plugs, which in the meantime have not been touched, the trouble has not definitely reappeared. We have today handled a similar complaint and in this case have been definitely able to demonstrate that the trouble is due to what appears to be an internal leakage of the ignition plug, and we are returning to you five plugs taken off the customer's car, on which we have been able to reproduce the internal leakage on our plug tester. The leakage in question appears to take place between the body of the plug and the centre stem, the spark passing between the outer washer of the internal wrapping of the centre stem. We have previously experienced surface leaks, which we have been able to overcome by cleaning, but this does not overcome the above fault, as such a place as the place described cannot be got at without completely dismantling the mica of the plug. We therefore return the plugs to you in this condition and trust you will be able to take this matter up with the makers, and apart from getting these replaced, obtain some assurance that the plugs they are now making will not develop a similar trouble, if so to supply us with plugs which do not give this trouble and which can be supplied to replace any similar faulty ones. EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} [Handwritten note in bottom left corner]: Plugs removed from chassis 4.G.G. 2 Mr. Parker. | ||