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).
Complaints of noisy speedometer and rev counter drives on 4¼ Bentley Chassis due to incorrect lubrication.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 165\2\ img066 | |
| Date | 14th April 1937 | |
| 6085. To By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wst. c. MX.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} c. RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wst.11/AP.14.4.37 Rev. Counters and Speedometer Drives on Chassis. We are getting an abnormal amount of complaints on the 4¼ Bentley Chassis, due to noisy speedometer and rev. counter drives, and at the same time we have had trouble due to oil getting on to the dynamo commutator. Upon investigating this matter we have found that the speedometer drives on Production about November last, were filled with oil in addition to the Price's Belmaline which Messrs A.T. already supply in the drive. We were unaware that this oil had been placed in the drives until quite recently, and it is more than likely that this is the cause of the complaints referred to above i.e. the oil would tend to disolve the grease and thus make the drives noisy, at the same time the excess lubricant would force its way on to the dynamo commutator. It is understood that the oiling of these drives on Production has now been discontinued. The A.T. Co. concur with our view that trouble we have been experiencing recently on 4¼ Bentley Chassis drives has been accentuated due to the dilution of their grease by the addition of oil, and they strongly deprecate the practice. We believe this oiling of the drives was done quite un-officially, and we should be glad if careful instructions can be given to avoid this happening in the future. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wst. | ||