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 performance issues with fuel, brakes, stabiliser bar, and punctures during testing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 83\1\ scan0149 | |
| Date | 15th August 1936 guessed | |
| performance, putting it below what a lower compression engine would do. Bentley owners do not all appreciate this.As A policy, therefore, one would recommend the invariable use of a high octane fuel. Some alteration will have to be made to the side petrol filler, as it was found not suitable for all the petrol pump nozzles encountered. Those having a long tubular snout with a gentle curve were quite satisfactory, but there were a number in which the curve was very sudden and right on the end, which would not enter very far, and some having a very short nozzle protruding from a large diameter cylindrical end which would not enter at all. With fuels containing a percentage of alcohol splashing or dripping during the filling operation dissolves the celluloid lacquer on the mudguard and body work. In any case care is needed when filling up with such fuels. We have asked the Experimental Department to immediately try the R.R. side filler with the centre casting removed, to enable all varieties of pump nozzles to be pushed well in. The brakes behaved very well, and there was no suspicion of a judder during the whole trip. This trip was in no sense a test of resistance to fading except in the case of a number of very long and quite steep descents, during which they would undoubtedly be well warmed up. The braking did not appear at any time to be abnormally powerful but was satisfactory at all times. At about 1500 miles the left hand brake front was adjusted up three notches, and the two rear brakes two notches each. The right hand front required no adjustment. The brakes were not adjusted up again before leaving the car at Boulogne, but it is likely that some further takeup would be possible. Trouble was experienced in Austria with the stabiliser bar rattling, and this was found to be due to the nut securing the lead weight on the right hand side backing off and allowing the weight to shake about. I am not sure that the arrangement on 6-B-1V is what we normally fit as there was no spring washer under the nut, but this is being investigated. Punctures were experienced from horse shoe nails | ||