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).
Performance report on car number 44-PK, detailing issues with vibration, clutch, and battery.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 69\3\ scan0270 | |
| Date | 17th June 1925 | |
| X8770 S/W (Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}). copy to S/W (EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}) PN.{Mr Northey} CWB21/LH{Mr Haworth}17.6.25. re 40/50 h.p. CAR NO. 44-PK. --------------------------- The Administration and Sales Officials have inspected and observed the running of this car with louvred and standard bonnets, this morning, and the car is now, therefore, ready for return to Derby. A decision on the bonnet question will be given in due course. I was very glad to have this car for a few days and found, in general, that it was running exceedingly well. It did, however, appear to me that the engine vibrations between about 22 and 30 m.p.h. were greater than they had been on former occasions when this car was tried. They were, of course, very much shown up by the rather more rattly state of the body,(which appears to be somewhat going to pieces,)but were very definite between these speeds with a peak somewhere between 25 and 26 m.p.h. I found that while the clutch stop was quite satisfactory when the engine was cold, or fairly warm, that if it got really warm it appeared to be altogether inoperative, and that if the Governor was set two or three notches above the minimum idling position, under these circumstances, the clutch would never stop. I had some trouble with starting the car, and on two days had to start it by hand, which I found quite possible, though not the most pleasant form of exercise on the sort of mornings we have been having here recently. However, the trouble has been definitely traced to the battery, which was found to be nearly run-down, and in particular, one cell appears to be quite | ||