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).
The Coshawk Bendix Drive, comparing its performance with the Bijur drive on a Trials Car and a 20 HP production car.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\K\September1923\ Scan10 | |
| Date | 1st September 1923 | |
| B.B. 493A (40 H) (SL 42 12-7-23). J.H., D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} ORIGINAL. EXPERIMENTAL REPORT. Expl. No. 3592 REF: Ha3/LCS.9.23. To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to CJ. c. to EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. to HY.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} COSHAWK BENDIX DRIVE. X3592 EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} and myself tried the blue open Trials Car in London last week. The starter motor and Bendix had been changed by Cricklewood since the car was at WW. The engagement of the starter now on the car is satisfactory - it is entirely different to when the car was at WW. We have inspected the starter motor which was faulty, and found that the threaded sleeve was seized on the armature shaft. We do not consider it would be worth while changing the Bendix drive for the Bijur type because the Bijur has a number of faults. We consider our efforts should be concentrated on getting away from the crash type engagement altogether. On the 10,000 miles 20 HP. production car, the Bijur drive failed. We found on examination that it was due to the cork washer having broken and also because it was saturated in oil. We dismantled it, wiped off the oil, and re-erected it with the same washer - it would then start the engine. The cork washers are all soaked in oil before they are put together because it was found if they were put together dry, the crash of the starting was equal to the crash with the ordinary Bendix. This is the first case we have had with the Bijur drive on the car failing due to oil. Our experience so far is that so long as the cork washer remains in good condition, the oil gives us a smoother engagement but still takes up the drive. contd:- | ||