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 magneto ignition on Phantom II cars, particularly its performance at slow cranking speeds.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 65\3\ scan0437 | |
| Date | 19th January 1931 | |
| X7791 To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey} c. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. EY. EFC. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lid{A. J. Lidsey}2/KT19.1.31. X.699. MAGNETO IGNITION ON PHANTOM II CARS. X.7791 X.6098 X.6064 With reference to EFC2/AD16.1.31 the inference is that the complaint raised in .Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lid{A. J. Lidsey}2/MJ14.1.31 was based solely on one magneto, actually several cars were tested in this respect (viz. 22-EX, 25-EX, 27-EX and others) the result being substantially identical in every case. The EW6A magneto which replaced the EW6 machined handed to EFC. had the same features although admittedly it would fire forward at a slower speed than its predecessor. The fact is that it is not possible to pull over a cold P.II. engine sufficiently fast to fire on retarded magneto ignition only, the speed of the magneto, in reverse direction, after being cranked over, compression is considerably greater than that attained when pulling the engine forward over compression. If a cure were found for the reverse firing we should not be in a very much improved position, the real trouble is the inability of the magneto, when fully retarded to fire at the slow speed at which the engine is cranked over by hand. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey} | ||