The inspection and repair of a fabric coupling, clutch, and rear shock dampers, page 2.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 11\3\ 03-page471 | |
| Date | 4th August 1931 guessed | |
| (2) have fitted a spare fabric coupling that I had here although it is not of the latest riveted type. We found that the oil is coming out of the drive, past the retaining screw, which should prevent oil escaping. The clutch brake pulley is then flinging it all over the inside of the clutch case. We have tackled this job to try and prevent the oil entering the clutch case, details of which we will let you have later. R.H.C. has been doing a lot of work with the gearbox to reduce the pressure of the oil in the first compartment. This box here [handwritten: with shaft &] is allowed more lateral play, having moved the ball races further back. The clutch generally was in good condition, there was no sign of the clutch plates having been dragged away from the rivets. There also was no sign of the fabrics having spread. The rear fabric had slightly torn the steel of the clutch plate. Re. rear shock dampers. We dismantled one rear shock damper to ascertain what wear, if any, was taking place. Generally speaking the wear is negligible. The hardened steel pads showed slight scoring marks, but no sign of any hollow having been worn into them. Slight wear had taken place on the end of the lever on one side where the lever had not quite a full face bearing. The pad on one side having a very slight clearance on the extreme edge. We would say that they are a 90% job in this respect. The piston and cylinder was in a beautiful condition. One very noticeable feature was that whereas before the oil has been saturated with aluminium, it showed no traces of this from these dampers. The one feature which is detrimental to these dampers and which is a definite fault [handwritten: and] must be remedied before any dampers are allowed to leave the works is the replenishing ball valve at the aluminium end of the cylinder. Although we have not heard any knocks from the dampers, we have, as before reported, after disconnecting the connecting link, felt a definite free movement of the shock damper arm, caused by the oil not filling the end of the cylinder quick enough on the return movement. This only takes place when the piston is at the aluminium end of the cylinder, not the cast iron valve end. We have definitely proved this fault. The action is thus, if you move the shock damper arm up and then return on its downward stroke, you will have free movement of 1/2" upwards on the end of the lever. By unscrewing the screw marked X. on the sketch, one full turn, it entirely overcomes the trouble. What is happening is this, The ball hammers itself down into the aluminium seat and masks the outlet, also tending to hold the ball from a free movement. By unscrewing the screw we allow the ball to be flirted upwards, giving more clearance, also less restriction for the passage of the replenishing oil. Previously with the other damper we cut out the seat of the valve and obtained the same results. Actually we did two things, we gave the ball more movement beside cutting down the area of the ball seat. We have examined the ball and seat in the cast iron valve end of the replenishing valve, and this is in a good condition and shows | ||
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).