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).
Oil sludging issues in the Phantom III tappet mechanism, specifically concerning Price's oil.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 144\1\ scan0244 | |
| Date | 29th September 1936 | |
| W/S - C. c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} X1275 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}18/KW.29.9.36. Sludging up of the Filter of the Tappet Mechanism - Phantom III. Replying to C.17/C.28.9.36. We quite realise how awkward it is going to be telling people not to use Price's oil. Laboratory tests, however, seem to prove that there is no doubt that it does sludge easily, as will be seen from the report attached. Attached is a copy of a letter we wrote to Price's, and they are coming to see us on Thursday. Obviously in the interests of all concerned we are trying to deal with the matter as tactfully as possible. The evidence at present seems to be that we know that Castrol 'XL' is alright, and we know that Price's oil has already given trouble in customers hands. We feel it would be unwise to assume from a single case that the oils cease sludging after the first 500 miles. Experimentally we have never attempted to cope with the recommended list of oils in our testing. We have picked what we consider to be the best oil and run almost all our endurance tests on this. You will appreciate that where an engine has been developed it is possible to run an oil test on it and get a relative value for the oil; when an engine is in the process of development, however, such as the Phantom III, and the bearings, silent tappets etc. are still giving trouble, if a modification to effect an improvement in these parts is made and at the same time the oil is changed, it is quite impossible to get a figure of merit for either one or the other. Oil testing is a very laborious and costly business. Therefore, even though we have run into trouble with Price's oil, we cannot start a comprehensive test on it without neglecting our own bread and butter jobs. Technically, therefore, we still feel it would be better to discourage the use of Price's oil until we have had time to get some more information. Incidentally, possibly Price's have dropped behind a little bit on eliminating this sludge; certainly the Vacuum Oil Co., whose oils are widely distributed, and Wakefield's, have concentrated on eliminating sludge. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||