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).
Investigation into customer complaints of engine fading and leaking shock absorbers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 162\3\ img018 | |
| Date | 21th August 1936 | |
| COPY Mr Flatford 21.8.36 B-75-GP G.R.Forwood Esq (at Watson & Co. Birkenhead) Complaints.- Engine fading out 50 m.p.h. Shock absorbers leaking oil. I tested the above car on the road, and at first believed that the trouble was due to petrol starvation, so I cleaned out and inspected the carburetter generally, also changed the petrol pump; but these jobs did not cure the trouble, which had become very elusive. I took the sparking plugs out of the chassis and tested them in B-75-OP, and the trouble disappeared. I could get the maximum revs, and the engine was quite healthy. Ethyl petrol was being used in this car. I fitted the plugs in the test chassis, and the trouble re-occurred and was like this for about 40 miles afterwards. I could get even firing at all speeds. This rather points to the fact that with Ethyl petrol some action or deposit had formed, and with the standard R.R. petrol the plugs had cleaned themselves. I inspected the shock absorbers for oil leaks and considered these were quite a good job. Mr.Forwood said he had seen drops of oil falling from under the car. I had the car lifted on a ramp and showed the owner the condition of the shock absorbers, which were quite O.K. The oil did drop from the brake shaft bearings, down the brackets, but this was only excess oil. Mr.Forwood complained that the front wings rattled; this was due to the stone guards vibrating on the wings. I got felt inserted in between the guard and wing, and this was O.K. Body by Park Ward. There was a squeak from the front bumper, which I made O.K. (sgd) J.R.Waldron | ||