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).
Troubleshooting oil leaks and frothing in dampers, and the testing of potential solutions.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 68\2\ scan0137 | |
| Date | 4th March 1926 guessed | |
| contd :- -2- oil come out of the main chamber it would be just as likely to blow it out of this connection as drain it away. We are trying it however with reduced filling level to see if it overcomes the trouble. We believe that the leaks are due to a great extent to the oil frothing when its temperature rises. To try and overcome this we are increasing the air space under the cap. We have tried various kinds of oil and glycerine without much success. Glycerine reduces the leak but increases the tendency to chatter enormously. We anticipate that you have already considered a spring loaded gland. Should it be possible to fit this in, we feel that it might overcome the trouble. We are testing one out. We are fitting up a special gland test on the bench so that we can quickly determine the approximate efficiency of any arrangement before putting it on the bump. We hope to try every type of packing on this with grooved and plain shafts etc. Removing the cap of the shock absorbers and observing the behaviour of the oil does not tell us very much. When cool, there is no violent splashing but just the turbulence one would expect. When hot, the oil froths out of any breather we fit. Mechanically, these dampers appear to be O.K. as we have had one run for 70 hrs. on the bump test, the only alter- ation from the original design in this particular one being the strengthened links. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/W.A.Robotham. | ||