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 E. Fowler Clark regarding engine misfiring issues in 20 HP cars and discussions with Mr. Royce on potential solutions.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 61b\1\ scan0078 | |
| Date | 5th May 1930 | |
| X.2894. Works, Dagenham Dock, Essex TELEPHONE VICTORIA 3667. 5 LINES PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE. TELEGRAMS CONCENTRATION, SOWEST, LONDON. Manufacturers of P & R Accumulators Established 1889. PETO & RADFORD Proprietors - Pritchett & Gold and E.P.S. Company Ltd. 50 GROSVENOR GARDENS, LONDON, S.W.1. DIRECTORS: SIR ARCHIBALD C. GOLD F.C. GRAHAM MENZIES C.R.N. MINCHIN WILLIAM PETO C.R.D. PRITCHETT T.W. PRITCHETT YOUR REF OUR REF M/5. 5th May 1930. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Fowler Clark, Esq., Messrs. Rolls Royce Ltd., DERBY. Dear Fowler Clark, I saw Mr. Royce at Easter and we had a long talk about the make and break points and the reason why they should want so much attention and why nine out of ten 20 H.P. cars misfire at low speeds every few hundred miles unless the points are attended to. I have asked various owners of 20's about this point and I have not found one yet who does not get this trouble. Incidentally, although I have had great care taken with my points, I sent my car to Mr. Bellringer to be decarbonised when I was away and I find that on returning it, one of the items done is to renew the points altogether. Mr. Royce seemed to think that the plug points were to blame and they ought to run with the points closer together. I urged him again to run the magneto all the time and give it a distributor of its own and another set of plugs so that this faint misfiring at low speeds would not exist because of the second spark coming from the magneto. I have often suggested this to him before but he has never seemed convinced of its necessity, though this time I believe he seemed to pay a little more attention to it. I thought you would like to hear these various items. Yours sincerely, CRNMinchin | ||