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).
Multiple vehicle failures, concerning the hypoid axle, exhaust manifold, and front wing stays.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5a\2\ 02-page190 | |
| Date | 6th March 1930 | |
| To: Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} From G.M.H. Hôtel de France, Châteauroux. We received your telegram yesterday:- DISPATCHING PASSENGER TODAY COMPLETE HYPOID REAR AXLE ADDRESSED PARIS DEPOT WILL YOU ARRANGE CHANGEOVER IMPORTANT NO OIL IN NEW AXLE RETURN OLD AXLE QUICKLY HIVES. As it was a general holiday here yesterday, we could not get in touch with Paris until to-day. This morning I telephoned Ps. and he has arranged to let me know immediately he gets word that the axle is in Paris. Ps also is going to try and get the axle quickly from the port, as he says that otherwise it will take a week before reaching Paris. We had arranged with Ps to borrow the axle of the Trials car, but in view of the fact that you have sent the Hypoid axle, by the time we got it fitted and returned to Châteauroux, the Hypoid axle would be in Paris. Therefore it would be on absolute waste of time to make the exchange. Our present axle seems to have gone so far that it appears staying at that. we cannot find any more slack in the housing having developed. Also the retard period is almost non-existent under its present condition, which looks as if it was more a transmission or propellor shaft period than anything else; that I inspected previous to arriving at Châteauroux. We have once more broken the exhaust manifold, as you will see by to-day's report. It has gone in exactly the same conditions as the one taken off previous to leaving Derby. The manifold definitely shrinks and pulls on the studs, as Elliott suggested. The exhaust down pipe from the manifold to the silencer, we should once more like to draw your attention to the fact that there is too much strain caused by this pipe distorting, at the bottom bend. It has caused the flange to go right over where attached to the manifold, and has broken the welding away at the joint to the silencer. We have never successfully run a 20-HP car out here without these two chief things giving us trouble, and it is high time that something could be done to allay it. Front wing stays: We have once, and once only, run a 10,000 miles trip with a 20-HP car, without the front wing stays breaking through the weakness of the bottom flange. We have complained and taken this matter up with "By". Strengthening plates have been fitted, but stays are totally inadequate to carry any wing firmly. "By"'s attention should be brought to this. Also it is useless to fasten a wing to a running board in the hope that the running board will be a stay for the wing. At no time does this arrangement last for more than a few days. The suspension of head lamps on the frail wing stays is asking for trouble. We should very seriously suggest that a column should be fitted similar to what is standard on the Phantom. ............... | ||