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).
Serious and recurring bearing failures on Bentley chassis, comparing white metal, lead bronze, and Hall's metal bearings.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 146\3\ scan0062 | |
| Date | 4th September 1936 | |
| To Bentley Motors Ltd. London............... Copy to ........... Tr.{Capt. F. W. Turner - Finance} Levallois SRI/ET.4.9.36. Re: BEARINGS ON BENTLEY CHASSIS --------------------------------- As I mentioned on the telephone this morning to Tr.{Capt. F. W. Turner - Finance}, we are running headlong into serious bearing troubles. In my opinion the situation is a serious one and calls for immediate and energetic action. You will remember that, some long time ago, when it became apparent to all concerned that the white metal bearings on the 3 1/2 litre Bentleys would not stand up to Continental conditions, I wrote you a memo in which I explained the situation and made a suggestion, which you accepted, to the effect that we should keep our eyes on customer's cars, especially those who, we know, drive to capacity, and get them in after a certain mileage to inspect the bearings and, if these were found to be in bad condition at that time, we were to change the bearings and fit lead bronze. At that moment and for several months after, we carried out this scheme successfully and fitted a certain number of cars with lead bronze bearings, and we have heard no more about these cars, except one or two complaints of high oil consumption. Works then recommended that we should no longer fit lead bronze bearings, but replace white metal bearings by Hall's metal bearings. We therefore started fitting these bearings to three or four cars. Unfortunately at this stage, it was discovered that the Hall's metal bearings were not satisfactory and that a different type of Hall's metal bearings would replace the original type. We were therefore obliged to cease our operations and, at the present time, we seem to be getting into a bit of a mess, owing to the fact that, where we have replaced white metal by Hall's metal we are now almost certain that these bearings will not stand up and will therefore have to be changed again. This presumption is based on our demonstration car B.8.GA, all the bearings of which have hammered out after about 13.000 miles. We have had to strip the engine completely and are now building it up with the latest type Hall's metal bearings. In the last two days we have had two cases of bearing failure. In the first case the connecting rod has come through the crankcase and we are now making arrangements to send the engine to Derby. We should be very much obliged if you could assist us in getting this shipped back as soon as possible as the customer is without a car and in an unpleasant state of mind. I suppose it would not be possible to send us over a reconditioned engine! Judging from the customer's remarks, the second case is one of bearing failure in Italy and the car is being shipped back to us. It is a 3 1/2 litre Bentley and has only done about 16.000 miles. | ||