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).
Failures and fixes for hydraulic dampers, the electrical system, and the dynamo.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 83\4\ scan0035 | |
| Date | 2nd November 1935 guessed | |
| ( 6 ) HYDRAULIC DAMPERS. The rear Dampers failed in the poundage and a quantity of oil was lost. The glands are leaking more excessively than on previous Cars? The control union in the N.S. damper became loose. The olive on the pipe line connection to the same damper had been pressed into the pipe, was loose, and would not seal the joint. Oil and pressure from the control unit was lost. The union was tightened up, the control pipe end cut off and a new olive fitted which cured the leak. In our opinion, the control pipe connection would be more fool proof if the union nut was made with a longer collar to support the pipe. It would ensure a better joint being made with the olive, as the pipe could not so easily be tilted over in fitting. The top cap on the O.S damper had been fitted the wrong way round, thus covering up the air breather hole. The oil was in a dirty condition almost swarth in the valve chambers. We have thoroughly cleaned the out dampers and valve chambers and filled with clean oil. The initial poundages checked was 80lbs. up, 75lbs. down. The front dampers have not given any trouble, poundages initial 75lbs. up, 70lbs. down. There has not been any loss of oil from these dampers. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. The ignition system has given no trouble. The contact points do not show any excessive burning, normal wear of the rubbing block. The Lucas Head Lamps have continually failed. With a Car designed for speed, vibrations from road shocks on the front of the Car are more severe. The plunger type of contacts of the spider in the head lamps will not stand up to this vibration, with the result that the connection heats up, melts the solder, burns the contact, and a black out is the result. If the soldered connection is done away with, the plunger contact burns and makes a faulty connection. We have had to finally do away with the plunger contact, and have taken one wire direct from the connecting block, drilled a hole in the top of the reflector and in the spider arm, and threaded the flexible wire through. To change bulbs, a certain amount of slack wire has been left in the body of the lamp. Lucas's could incorporate a similar system. It has definately cured the trouble of that failure. The other trouble is, the dipping mechanism. This at high speed on the French roads will not remain steady and a continual flickering is experienced. Side Lights, tail and stop lamp, have given no trouble. Spot Lamp smashed to pieces accidently by hitting birds. DYNAMO. 20/25 HP. TYPE. FAN-COOLED. The fuse on one occassion failed, no reason was found for this failure and it has not occurred again. The output has kept the Battery fully charged, there being no indication of lack of current during the night driving and starting up of a morning. There is a whine from the Dynamo at high speed. | ||