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 distributor contact breaker lever pivot pins, concluding that electro-tinning is the cause and recommending a switch to Delta metal pins.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 61b\1\ scan0205 | |
| Date | 12th March 1937 | |
| 6118. To By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wst. c. to RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wst.5/AP.12.3.37. P.III. Distributor Contact Breaker Lever Pivot Pins. We have had several instances of contact breaker lever bushes siezing on their pins. Upon investigating this trouble we found that the pivot pins had been electro tinned instead of being left plain brass as per the drawing, and as we have had no trouble with siezing up of plain brass we conclude that the trouble we have experienced was due to the electro tinning. We do not know, however, how long Production have been turning out distributors with electro tinned pivots, but those which have been turned out are likely to give trouble. Further trouble experienced has been the quality of the rivetting over of the pins at the back of the base, and at RHC{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer}'s request we have carried out a test on pins made in Delta metal which enables the rivetting over process to be carried out more effectively. We have run distributors on the bench with these Delta metal pins for 100 hours without any failures, and we can see no reason why the same should not be substituted on production for the ordinary plain brass now being used. We should therefore be glad if instructions can be issued accordingly. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wst. | ||