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).
Response letter addressing issues with steering, gear changes, an exhaust butterfly valve, servo motor, and petrol consumption.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\1\ Scan169 | |
| Date | 27th October 1925 | |
| -2- Hm{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs}/NRC{N. R. Chandler}10/EW27.10.25 contd. your address at an early date. Should you desire us to send a man to fit the springs, we will be pleased to do so. With regard to the steering on rough roads, we would say that the Design and Experimental Departments have been actively engaged on this problem for some time past, and if results show a decided advantage in the direction of reducing the road shocks transmitted to the steering wheel, without corresponding disadvantages in other directions, we will offer you the advantages of this improvement. With regard to gear changing up at high speeds, it is our practice to double clutch and thereby take advantage of the fact that the engine, with throttle closed, decelerates rather more rapidly than the clutch does when the gearbox is hot, it is not possible to effect an extremely quick change up at high speeds after the engine and gearbox are thoroughly warmed up. With regard to the butterfly valve in the exhaust pipe, we extremely regret that you have experienced trouble with this sticking and squeaking, and we would say that unfortunately the limits of fit on this spindle have to be very fine because if a certain clearance is exceeded, rattling is likely to occur. We trust, however, that yours has now settled down to a satisfactory condition. We extremely regret to learn that you have, even on a single occasion, experienced fierceness in the servo motor, causing the rear wheels to lock after the pedal pressure had been released, and we suggest that possibly some tightness in the mechanism operating the servo may have prevented the return of the clutch pedal to it's "off" position. It is difficult to picture the servo friction discs continuing to apply braking force after the force pressing the discs together had actually been removed. With regard to petrol consumption, we would anticipate a better figure than 14 M.P.G. in view of the very light body fitted, and we would like to have an opportunity of investigating this when you can spare the car to visit our Works. We are, dear Sir, Yours faithfully, | ||