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).
Road test report on chassis 1.EX detailing engine performance, overheating issues, and a seized piston.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 35\2\ scan 089 | |
| Date | 28th July 1919 | |
| X8340-0 Bn{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington}5/W28.7.19. contd. -5- Chassis 1.EX. Pistons. ------------------------------------- there is as much power as one could possibly want under any condition. The acceleration is very good indeed, and I am sure the car is very fast. It reaches 55 to 60 miles per hour very quickly, but I did not ascertain the maximum speed of the car on the level. I took the car with full load up the old bad hill at Porlock and other hills in Devonshire and Cornwall, and I feel sure that any driver could go up just as fast as he could take the corners. My impression on this hill was that the four speed box was of some advantage. The radiator was fitted with a blanking plate covering the radiator except for the circle covered by the fan. Although the weather which we experienced was not abnormally hot, but rather normal summer weather with cool breezes I found that the water boiled rather badly particularly on such hills as Porlock, and in fact on any hill more than two or three hundred yards long. I also found that on long straight stretches such as Hertford Bridge Flats the water boiled badly at 62 M.P.H. In this latter case the weather was hot and practically no breeze. I was not surprised at the boiling on Porlock Hill but I cannot understand boiling on the level at high speeds. In this latter case, on the Hertford Bridge Flats I seized one of the pistons, not badly enough to hang up the car, but as is usual with aluminium pistons, I found that by running the engine light no difference in engine could afterwards be perceived. On dismantling it at the works we found the usual type of aluminium piston seizure. This engine is not quite as good as 49-GB as regards knocks when cold. It appears that we have very little latitude with these pistons between knocks with a cool engine and seizure with a hot one with the water boiling. You will notice that the seizure occurred (Cont'd) | ||