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).
Overheating, suspension, and brake issues on vehicle 21-EX during road testing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 11\3\ 03-page072 | |
| Date | 2nd May 1930 | |
| To HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} From G.W.H. Hôtel de France Chateauroux. 2.5.30 We have received your letters of the 29th and 30th. Re cooling of 21-EX. We apologize in saying that your remarks as to the cooling during the very hot spell is not quite correct. I might bring to your mind that whilst running at 60 MPH the cooling was OK but when we ran for any distance at higher speed the red lamp immediately glowed, I do not wish to be dogmatical with the above. We have not had the high air temp. again since my report. We did have one afternoon and I had instructed the man to open the bonnet shutters which lessend as for as we know the temperature by 5°C. We will upon the first oppotunity test this out again. We have not had any further trouble with the stopping up of the radiator since cleaning it out. By the way the stopping up trouble always occours after running hard in third gear. I mean 5 or 6 miles. The centre suspension is so far quite OK. We found the steel sphere rusty, so covered it with grease when we reerected it. The centre joint lubrication is occupying our full attention. We are at the moment examining the car and will let you have full particulars as soon as possible. We have not observed any failure so far, the pipe along the front spring is OK. Re the loss of oil from rear axle. We are not having serious loss as you report as happened on other cars. We carefully check every 2.000 miles the amount lost. The air vent seems to be satisfactory so far as we have gone. Our front brake non squeaking divice is so far satisfactory but we do not wish to shout too soon. G.W.H. | ||