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).
Letter to C.C. Wakefield & Co. regarding an oil failure during axle gear tests.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 145\2\ scan0154 | |
| Date | 11th August 1937 | |
| 1231 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Gry{Shadwell Grylls}2/R.{Sir Henry Royce} 11th August, 1937. Messrs. C.C. Wakefield & Co., Limited, Research Dept., Wakefield House, 30 & 32, Cheapside, E.C.2. For the attention of Mr. E.A. Evans. Dear Sirs, We rang up Massey yesterday to tell him that we had an experience of failure on one of our French tests with a pair of axle gears running on Thio-ether Hi-press oil. We have about half a pint of this oil, and we are sending it to you for examination. Our opinion is that with long running and high temperatures in the neighbourhood of 130°C the oil has lost its extreme pressure properties. We understand that the original type of Hi-press is no longer obtainable, and that the last consignment supplied to our Works was of the Thio-ether variety. In view of the failure of our car in France, we are very alarmed at this state of affairs, particularly as we have been able to reproduce a similar failure on dynamometer test at Derby after only a quarter of an hour's running at high temperature. We believe Mr. Luen is coming up to see us on Wednesday of next week, and hope he will be able to give us your views on this failure. Yours faithfully, For ROLLS-ROYCE LTD. | ||