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 reporting various faults with a car after a road test in France, including issues with brakes, clutch, gearbox, and a sticking throttle.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 11\5\ 05-page148 | |
| Date | 13th August 1934 | |
| notel de france, Chateauroux. indre. France. To RM.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} from HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}-BWG.{J. C. Bowring} 13th August 1934. I arrived safely in Chateauroux at 10 p.m. on Sunday night, having had a smooth course the whole way. Highest speed attained was 80 MPH. Starting up from cold both Saturday and Sunday morning, the tappets were slightly noisy but became silent almost immediately, and remained so throughout the journies. The brakes are bad and got rather worse after use. Clutch jaggers very bad indeed, in fact almost a nightmare when starting off in traffic. Synchro 2nd. very stiff, there being distinctly two movements when engaging. On checking over the car to-day, it was found that the change speed lever casing was loose on the gear box, this allowed the gate to move backwards and forwards to quite an extent. The side shaft is dry and uneven. All nuts holding the shock dampers to frame were found to be loose to half a turn. With reference to the spare servo linings, I brought two pairs over with me, the best I could find out of a number in the erecting bay. I was surprised to find that, despite the fact that it is essential to keep all grease and dirt from the linings, that those in the erecting bay were either on the floor or in an open box under the bench, and subject to all the dirt imaginable. When the car got warm, the throttle stuck badly up the range, but I did not stop to check this as I could not get through the same day, however, I looked into this to-day (when cold) and everything was perfectly free, the throttle having plenty of end play, we shall therefore have to wait until we get the car warm again before finding the trouble. Wishing you a good holiday. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/J.BOWERING. | ||