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).
Vehicle testing issues including vibrations, fan belt tightness, and engine cooling.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 11\3\ 03-page169 | |
| Date | 7th July 1930 guessed | |
| -2- but this did not last more than 50 miles. A shudder goes right through the car from the rear brake vibrations. The condition of the fabric is very dry. Re Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}'s letter received this morning. We note his remarks re shock-damper air pressure. His suggestion re drilling holes in the breather caps will be tried out. The question of the fan belt tightness is one that we never lose sight of during our daily runs. We are using the standard spring loaded whittle fan belt, as there was no new rubber belts to be had at Derby. We have already taken two links out of the fan belt, and it is always tightened up to practically choc-a-bloc before starting out on our 500 mile run. It is therefore not a question of unnecessary slackness of the fan belt that is causing our high temperatures of water. One cannot be getting out of the car every 50 miles for tightening a fan belt up, and if it is going to be a question of water temperature having to be kept down by a 100% fan drive, then it is up to the Design Department to give us this state of fan drive. We have sent you results of various runnings and water temperatures obtained. We omitted to state that the four slats in the bonnet were open during these tests. The weather conditions here are such that we have to get rid of the hot air as quickly as possible. We are running at the present moment without the undershield under the gear box; although this does not make any difference to the temperature of the water, it does seem to reduce the temperature under the scuttle. We have not had a thermometer to give definite results of this, but are obtaining one. The loss of water from the radiator is very consistent, | ||