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).
The effects of Tetraethyllead (T.E.L.) on an engine during type test running and subsequent storage.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\4\ Scan018 | |
| Date | 26th October 1932 | |
| V1r8r Rg.{Mr Rowledge} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/LBH.{Mr Hall - Aero Design Engineer} c. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. Mr.Jaques. c. LD. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/LBH.{Mr Hall - Aero Design Engineer}19/KT. 26.10.32. x2965 EFFECT OF T.E.L. ON AN ENGINE DURING - (1) TYPE TEST RUNNING. & (2) STORAGE AFTER TYPE TEST RUNNING. In order to make a comparison between the use of standard & T.E.L. fuels, K.II. 85 was run on Type Test with Anglo Persian spirit with 4 ccs. T.E.L. per gallon added, whilst K.II.S. 1279 ran on standard D.T.D.134 fuel during its Type Test. On the completion of each Type Test the engines were re-assembled, run for a further 10 hrs, and then stored for a month before opening up. On stripping the engines after the storage period it was noticed that the appearance of K.II.S. 1279, run on standard fuel, was quite normal for 100 hrs. Type Test, no ill effects having resulted from storage. Kestrel II.S. 85 run on T.E.L. fuel showed that, during storage, all the liners had become rusty at the tops where not traversed during piston movement, and this rusting seemed to be the only effect of storage. During the running period, all the valve heads had become thickly coated with a rough brown deposit, and on cleaning this away, on the final strip, it was found that pitting had taken place. The pitting had taken place on both the upper and undersides of the valve heads, but was less on the underside in the case of the inlet valves. The actual valve seatings were about average for a normal Type Test, and did not appear to have suffered due to the use of T.E.L. The pistons had a film of white deposit on the crowns, a similar deposit being found on the cylinder heads, but in neither cases had any corrosion occurred. The aluminium bronze valve seat inserts were in normal condition, the T.E.L. having had no detrimental effect on them. | ||