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).
Faulty rear axle oil seal on Chassis B.8.GA, the Paris Trials Car.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\1\ Scan451 | |
Date | 27th May 1936 | |
21245 P GRY.{Shadwell Grylls} To Bentley Motors Ltd. Derby........... Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Copy to ........ By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Levallois Sr/VAIO/ET.27.5.36 Re: CHASSIS N° B.8.GA - PARIS TRIALS CAR You will have observed from paragraph 2 of our memo Sr/VA5/ET.20.5.36 that the rear axle belonging to chassis B.49.EJ (Saoutchik) was fitted to the above chassis by our Nice Depot. The position is as follows: The original rear axle of B.49.EJ has not been removed from B.8.GA and refitted to B.49.EJ, but the original axle of B.8.GA has been made 100% good and is now fitted to B.49.EJ. After the fitting of the rear axle of B.49.EJ to B.8.GA by our Nice Depot so as to get the car quickly on the road again for Sr., this car (B.8.GA) was a short time afterwards involved in an accident at Marseilles. This, we should mention, happened while a prospective customer was driving the car. As a result of this accident, we had to dismantle the rear axle and repair it as necessary. At the same time, we fitted 2 reinforced type axle tubes and we also fitted 2 new "Perfect oil seals". At the time we carried out this work, the car had covered a total mileage of 3700 Kms. A few days ago, Sr. made a fast run to Clermont-Ferrand and back. Upon his return, he reported that there was a leakage of oil past the o/s rear brakedrum. Upon removing the drum, we found a quantity of oil had leaked from the differential casing, past the o/s (R.H.) oil seal and finally on to the brake mechanism. We dismantled the o/s axle tube and fitted a new oil seal. Since the fitting of the new oil seal during the repairs to the axle, the car had run 5173 Kms. up to the time of fitting the second one (total mileage of the car is now 8873 Kms). The trouble was undoubtedly due to a faulty oil seal. We are sending it to you for examination. Before fitting new seals, we soak them for 24 hours in thin oil and we have made two special tools so that they are not damaged in any way when being fitted. We think that the seals are no doubt effective as far as keeping the oil in the axle casing is concerned, say when the axle is tilted; but it has been our experience that they cannot be entirely relied upon to keep the oil in the casing when the car is in motion, as the oil had, in this particular instance, been almost drained from the axle, which is highly dangerous. | ||