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 to The Ethyl Export Corporation regarding engine misfiring and pinking issues attributed to lead deposits from Ethyl fuel.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 150\1\ scan0183 | |
| Date | 31th August 1936 | |
| X1282 Exptl. Dept. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}12/KW. 31st August, 1936. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Fossett, Esq., The Ethyl Export Corporation, Thames House, Millbank, London, S.W.1. Dear Mr. Fossett, Referring to your letter of August 29th addressed to Mr. West, I note what you say about the sparking plugs. We accept this as a difficult problem. We do not, however, accept the observations that the trouble is not due to the plugs. We have been into the matter very thoroughly and have investigated every part of the electrical system on the car. Our final conclusion that the trouble was due to lead deposit on the plugs was only arrived at after it had been demonstrated that the misfiring on a car could be cured by doing nothing but remove the plugs and clean them. A large quantity of confirmatory evidence from customers is now available. As an example, in several cases owners have complained of pinking and we have told them to run on Ethyl. After a short time they have complained of plugs misfiring and have gone back to ordinary fuel, whereupon the pinking has returned and the misfiring disappeared. Examples such as these appear to us to be somewhat conclusive. The situation is so acute that we may be forced to withdraw our recommendation to Bentley owners to use Ethyl, andwe shall therefore be glad if you will give the matter your further consideration. | ||