Rolls-Royce Archives
         « Prev  Box Series  Next »        

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).
Internal water leaks in Kestrel engines due to insufficient tightening of holding down nuts.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 178\4\  img068
Date  16th April 1931
  
Q. From HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/L.RH.{R. Hollingworth}
c. to Ag. Wo F.{Mr Friese}
c. to Sq. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer}
c. to Ly. L.
FL. EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}

x3866
X1849

KESTREL CYLINDER BLOCKS.

USE OF SLIPPING CLUTCH SPANNER FOR TIGHTENING CYLINDER HOLDING DOWN NUTS.

We have now had 16 engines reported with internal water leaks, since the beginning of the year.

The majority of these have occurred after comparatively short periods of running, up to 50 hrs service, whilst some have started under 2) hrs running.

These leaks are not confined to any particular type, but occur on both unsupercharged and supercharged engines, with various squadrons.

The trouble being of a general nature it can only be attributed to incorrect fitting of the cylinder blocks, namely insufficient tightening of the holding down nuts.

As the top cylinder joint is absolutely dependent on the tightening of the block, some method of ensuring that the nuts are correctly tightened, independent of the human factor as far as possible, is necessary.

The use of a spanner with a regulation length of tommy bar, whilst giving passable results where the same men are regularly doing the job, is very uncertain when cylinders are tightened by men who only occasionally do so; as regards both lack of experience and difference in effort exerted between individuals. This latter consideration particularly applies to engines overhauled at air stations, and not erected by R.R. mechanics.

The use of a slipping clutch spanner, arranged to slip when the nut is sufficiently tightened, ensures a degree of tightness which experience has shown to be satisfactory.

The Experimental Dept: has developed such a spanner, and used it successfully as regards loading and consistency of operation.
  
  


Copyright Sustain 2025, All Rights Reserved.    whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙