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).
Letter from Rolls-Royce of America discussing known issues with the Packard 8 Engine.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 127\1\ scan0130 | |
| Date | 11th November 1926 | |
| ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, INC. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. X435 Oy9-E-111126 Handwritten: R BSWOR E / HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Below are comments we have received from Oy in reply to an enquiry we made on the general impression of straight eight cars. November 11th, 1926 Mr. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hives, Mickleover, Near Derby, England. Re Packard 8 Engine Dear Mr. Hives: Regret late reply to yours of September 9th. Have been letting everything slide to get the new cars out. We know little about 8-in-line engines, but am "canvassing" to find what we do know in the concern, including Sales. 1. The Packard 8 is undoubtedly the best, but they (and the others) have had trouble with torsional vibrations in the long crank. The eights without a slipper flywheel all have a marked torsional period, and some who do fit a slipper flywheel have not made a particularly good job of it, so that it made the engine rougher instead of smoother (we all know this trouble). 2. There has been trouble with keeping the water circulation good about the rear cylinders. Hup got over this first by putting the water pump at the extreme rear of the engine delivering direct to No.8 cylinder. 3. There has been trouble with "gas-noise" probably in the exhaust, with some engines, but I think this can be overcome by separating the exhausts from front and rear blocks. There may be an inlet roar from the overlapping strokes - I don't know this. 4. The irregular intake flow does not appear to cause any trouble with modern heated intakes. Packard have dropped the fuelizer this year and use an ordinary ex-heated intake. | ||