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).
Issues with the Bijur drip plug lubrication system and progress on vehicle chassis and body assembly.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27\1\ Scan025 | |
| Date | 25th January 1929 | |
| RHC{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} X3806 To: Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} From: G.W.H. Py/ss{S. Smith} Ry/ss{S. Smith} HCL Hôtel de France, Châteauroux, Indre. January 25th, 1929. We have finished off to-day the setting of the Bijur drip plugs using Vacuum BB. We should like to point out that the production may expect considerable trouble with the setting of the drops on the bijurs. We find them to be very erratic, we consider the bijur drip plugs too complicated and believe that if they were simplified, much better results would be obtained. We do not think that it is necessary to have the valve, the plunger and the tiny spring. We have reported to you that the valves are not to be relied upon to keep the oil in the pipe lines after the pressure from the pump has been released. We think that if a plain drip plug was made with an orifice giving so many drops per min., retaining the felt filter, a cheaper drip plug would be obtained and definitely more satisfactory. We find that the biggest trouble is the sticking of the plunger in the guide, also as you will see from my previous report, the capacity of the pump charge requires increasing to ensure a definite supply to the whole of the chassis. There is no doubt at all about the temperature making a difference, as we have found that in dropping the temperature 2°, i.e. from 8 to 6, it makes a difference of 2 drops per min. We should like to very strongly bring forward the failure of the soldered joints. These have given us no end of trouble in taking off and refitting the bijur pipes. The system as it is is very inaccessible for testing any one bijur. For instance if the bijur for the rear spring anchorage requires checking, the whole pipe lines and several other bijurs have to be disconnected to test that one only. Bijur drip plug for the servo: here again several pipes have to be disconnected before it is possible to check that bijur. This applies more or less throughout the car, and will cause in production a serious loss of time and many new aluminium washers for once the washers are disturbed, it is very seldom that a satisfactory joint can be remade. We are more concerned over these items than the working of the lubrication system. We have to-day finished off the chassis and have successfully got the body back in position. To fit the rear wings, we are welding two bolts into the rear stays so that the nuts that were previously on them and fouled the rear brake drum guard will be dispensed with. This will give us another approx 3/8" clearance. The fitting of the stays will be no more difficult than previous, as the rear of the body has to be lifted to put the bolts through. We shall put them in from the outer side with the nuts on the inside. Without any unforeseen circumstances we shall have the car running by Saturday evening or Sunday morning, minus the front wings which we are not fitting until after we have fitted the front solid engine feet. Therefore we can safely say that the car will be leaving towards the end of next week for Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence. We shall write to this effect to Mr. Royce to-morrow. G.W.H. [Signature] | ||