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).
Report comparing the cold-weather starting performance of cars in America and Derby, detailing issues with misfiring and distribution.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\F\February1921\ Scan12 | |
| Date | 10th December 1920 | |
| -2- We have had experience at Derby, and Mr. Royce has had the experience, of using inferior petrol and a cold engine. We know that under those conditions the car does not do itself justice and is miserable to drive. Although we might lay stress on the fact that the engine cannot be expected to perform satisfactorily until it is warm, it is a fact that the American cars do work extremely well under similar conditions. I had the expereince of leaving 4-EX Car in an unheated Garage. In the same Garage was a cheap American six-cylinder Car. The American car was only fitted with magneto ignition. The minimum temperature inside the garage was 15°F.{Mr Friese} The American Car was started up and out of the garage before we had pumped up pressure in the petrol tank. It took on an average of from ten to fifteen minutes to start the 4-EX Car. On one occasion before we could get it started we had to pour boiling water over the Carburetter. We have found that the only possible way of starting with the engine dead-cold is to use the primer at the same time that the motor is turning in the engine. The effect we get is that the engine will give one explosion, but it is not vigorous enough to carry on. In an effort to start, the primer is used excessively and a great quantity of raw petrol is pumped into the engine. This is proved by the fact that when the car did start, it was enveloped in blue smoke from the exhaust, which evidently came from the petrol being pumped out of the cylinders. In considering the policy of making the Rolls-Royce car in America identical with the Derby car, I consider that we should always have in mind that it is the results of the car in the customers' hands which we want to be identical. It is futile to have the cars look the same if, owing to variation in conditions, they give different results. Since I have been here I have tested a new chassis just delivered from Derby. Nothing on it had been touched. We found that if the car was run full throttle at 30 miles per hour for a minute or so, it would commence to misfire, due to bad distribution. Before it arrives at the actual misfiring stage, one can feel that the engine is pulling unevenly, and by examination of the cylinders they have the appearance of being wet and oily. 4-EX Car, before I brought it to America, had run twelve thousand miles in England. There had never been on that car the least signs of over-oiling or misfiring. Since it has been here we have had any amount of trouble with it over-oiling and continued trouble with misfiring, due to bad distribution. Contd. | ||