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).
Oil leaks on Bentley rear axles, discussing seal failures and production changes to washers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 84\4\ scan0091 | |
| Date | 1st July 1936 | |
| W/P - Sr. c. to RHC{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer}/WSC.{W. S. Cassel} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls}16/KW.1.7.36. Bentley Rear Axle Oil Leaks. We have had the manufacturers of the "Perfect" Oil Seals over here to discuss the failures you have been having on cars running in France. They were of the opinion that we are running the seals too tight on the shaft and that this causes sufficient drag to rotate the leather and retaining washer inside the housing, the seal thereby being rendered useless. They have sent us some new seals running at what they consider the correct fit. We are sending you three sets to try. If any of them give trouble we should be glad if you would send us a wire, so that a representative of the Oil Seal Company can see them dismantled and satisfy himself that we have done nothing wrong. We have recently instructed for production grover washers instead of flat spring washers underneath the nuts securing the pinion housing and the axle box side plates, as we have had one or two occasions on which these nuts have come loose, sufficiently in one case to lose all the oil from the axle. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls} | ||