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).
Issues with bodywork, propeller shaft leaks, and unsatisfactory repair work at Cricklewood.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\2\ Scan405 | |
| Date | 21th November 1930 | |
| Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/GWH{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux}/AD21.11.30 contd. -7- bodywork. The salesman knew nothing about Rolls-Royce cars in so much that he said the cap on the filler pipe of the tank should be petrol tight. We found he had fitted a leather washer to seal this up, which of course would have caused a petrol starvation. I told Mr. that the whole job was unsatisfactory and to have a man of that type was not beneficial to Rolls-Royce cars. This was taken up with Messrs. Pass and Joyce. Leak from propeller shaft joints. There have been two cases of this trouble. In one case the leather packing had disappeared. In taking up the matter with By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} and Mx.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} we have come to the conclusion that if these leather packings are fitted too tight, the heat generated burns away the leather, and to overcome this a scheme has been got out to spring load the leather packings to prevent the necessity of having to fit too tight a packing. We are hoping to get this scheme through in time for the next 10,000 mile test. Report on work at Cricklewood. There were two cases whilst I was there that were unsatisfactory. The first was the fitting of coarse ground valve springs after they had been definitely told not to do so. This car, 1-GN, was giving trouble with valve spring noise and it was decided to fit better fitting springs and circular ground. The job was done during my absence, and when I returned I was informed that the instructions had been carried out, but as a result of the car coming in again for the same complaint I found they had fitted the old type valve springs. This, to me, seems to be due to faulty organisation. The other case was 142-GN. I tested this car myself and found that the servo was incorrectly set and gave instructions for it to be attended to. The complaint was inefficient brakes. I again tried the car when the job had been completed, but found that nothing had been done to the servi, with the result that the car had to be returned to the bay again. There are other cases of this sort happening which gives one the feeling whether any job is done right. I took this matter up with them very strongly and an improvement should be the result. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} | ||