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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).
Vehicle analysis, detailing proposed inspections and comparisons to Bentley and Terraplane models.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 21\6\  Scan082
Date  9th October 1933
  
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In passing it is interesting to note that the minimum hot clearances for the tappets are, inlet .006 and exhaust .008, which is large for a side valve engine and for the degree of mechanical silence obtained, and implies the use of a somewhat long toed cam form.

The ventilation of the body does not seem at all good as when the car warms up there is a very unpleasant gassy odour present the whole time, which, combined with the undamped high pitched springing at low speeds has a very undesirable effect.

Before this car is disposed of we should like to obtain some more information from it as follows:

Pull down bottom half and inspect cooling paths for oil round walls of sump. At the same time the form of the five bearing counter weighted crankshaft can be inspected.

Inspect timing gears, engine mounting, water cooling system, air silencer and cleaner.

Pull down induction system and take particulars of pipe and porting.

Make comparative tests of torsional rigidity of frame by jacking up on one dumb iron.

Inspect splayed road springs.

The fuel tank on this car is of 13½ gallons capacity. On the Bentley we are carrying 4½ gallons more than this, together with the increased weight of the tank and we must watch that we do not overburden our cars in this respect.

The good points of the Terraplane engine stand out much more than on any other 8 cylinder car I have driven, and this may be partly due to the stiff chassis frame and flexible engine mounting. In any case it makes the 6 cylinder engine look a back number and points to the fact that a small 12 cylinder of about 4 litres capacity scale down from SpectreCodename for Phantom III would achieve a big step forward on our smaller RR. chassis, and do much to keep us in front for some time.

E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer}
  
  


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