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).
Engine starting arrangements, petrol pump reliability, and vapour lock, with a handwritten note for further testing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\2\ Scan136 | |
| Date | 31th March 1933 | |
| - 2 - no difficulty in doing this and in coupling it to the normal control. So far as can be seen this arrangement offers the possibility of getting the engine going under the worst conditions provided the starter will turn the engine over. It might also be used for picking up petrol again after running out on the main tank, albeit it is uncertain whether when hot the engine would fire on the rich mixture from the starter carburetter, but might pick up as soon as fuel was sucked as far as the pump. If this arrangement were successful for this latter condition no special instruction would be needed to drivers regarding its use as it is instinctive to try the starter carburetter when it is found to be impossible to get the engine to run otherwise. With regard to the petrol pump failing under normal conditions, we think this would be an extremely rare occurrence with a good petrol filter in the line and when the car is being used in normal service. There is also the question of vapour lock but this appears to be avoidable by running the fuel line well clear of the hot spots in the chassis. [Handwritten] Westwood try this on our test bed engine. Also Check that the fuel feed with existing air pump & autovac is sufficient for our requirements C.R. | ||