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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).
Bush seizure failure in a Bentley's overdrive gearbox, attributing it to a hardened steel bush and planning to revert to a bronze one.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 136\4\  scan0200
Date  1st January 1938
  
1153
also
200a
228

Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}
Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}
c. Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}
c. Ds.
S. MX.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer}

Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}4/H.S.1.38.

OVERDRIVE GEARBOX ON THE BENTLEY.

You will see from the attached Daily Report that we have had a failure on the overdrive gearbox. This consisted of a bush seizure. We attribute the failure to the fact that we had used a hardened steel bush in place of a bronze in an endeavour to reduce wear. After fitting this steel bush we did 100 hours on the dynamometer on a bronze bush on a standard gearbox, reproducing as near as possible overdrive conditions. The bronze bush was entirely satisfactory. We are, therefore, reverting to the bronze bush, and, at the same time, we believe that we can make the lubrication better than the standard Bentley box.

We ought to be able to get a proof run on the dynamometer with this bronze bush within the next 10 days which, if successful, will justify us in sending the car to France. In the meantime it is held up.

Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}
  
  


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