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).
Slight clutch judder complaint concerning graphite bronze clutch faces on a 3 1/2-litre Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 103\3\ scan0211 | |
| Date | 17th February 1938 | |
| K/W. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/NRC.{N. R. Chandler} c to GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} PK/KC/DPB/17.2.38. re: GRAPHITE BRONZE CLUTCH FACES. 20/25.HP & 3 1/2-litre BENTLEY. Mileage of liners 3,000. Re Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/NRC.{N. R. Chandler}16/JH.21.10.37 and my PK/KC/DPB/23.11.37, you will be sorry to hear that I have had to revert to standard clutch friction linings on 3 1/2-litre chassis No. B.139.BL,(the property of F.J.Dykes Esq) for an owner's complaint of slight clutch jagger. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Gry{Shadwell Grylls} tried this car when on a personal visit to Mr.Dykes and did his best to prove to this somewhat difficult owner that the judder when taking off between 7 & 900 revs. was very slight and that it was possible above and below these speeds to get away without trouble. Please do not take this case as a standard case of clutch jagger developing on a clutch using these, as in my opinion, for all practical purposes if this is the worst case of jagger that we are going to get using this liner, then there will be very few complaints indeed. This opinion of mine is based upon personal trial of the car, knowledge of the owner and his particular ideas as to what the clutch should be, and the fact that the liners removed are definitely going into another car and do not shew any attempt at even slight roasting to bed them in. As a matter of fact, the driver or flywheel liner has hardly bedded across its entire width as yet - in fact it would be nearer correct to state just over the halfway line, but you wanted a report on the behaviour of these liners in the hands of owners, so I am reporting this first case. Regarding the other chassis, No.B.153.DK, nothing has been heard of this since its departure from the Depot early in November. PK/KC. | ||