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).
Vehicle performance issues including radiator water loss, high-speed steering wobble, and oil leaks from the flywheel casing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 71\4\ scan0042 | |
| Date | 4th March 1925 | |
| X8940 Hotel de France, CHATEAUROUX. Indre. France. AJL.I/Crn.4.3.25. To: "HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}" From: A.J.Lidsey. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 2nd inst. Loss of water from radiator. We can say definitely that water is being lost through the two radiator overflow pipes. We ran 250 miles this morning with one overflow pipe plugged up and the amount of water lost was the same as usual, i.e. 1 1/4 galls. This afternoon I have done 100 miles on the car with both overflow pipes plugged up. The loss of water was very slight, i.e. less than 1/2 pint, this having been lost via the radiator cap. We do not think that there can be anything in the theory that water is pitched out when the brakes are applied. We had no trouble of this sort with 40/50 H.P. cars before. The water appears to be lost when any amount of high speed work is done. When both overflow pipes were plugged up, it was noticed that water escaped from the radiator cap only after the car was run for a mile or so at high speed. It seems feasible to suggest that the pumping capacity of the water pump at high speeds is such that the water space between the radiator tubes cannot pass the water through quick enough to keep pace with the water that is pumped through the engine outlet pipe. It would not be very difficult to ascertain the maximum water flow obtainable through the radiator, and compare this with the pumping capacity of the water pump. Steering. The steering is now quite as good as when we went down to Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence. The last change for the better took place after changing the off-side front wheel. Since this we have not experienced any high speed wobbles, although the steering feels not very far off the verge of wobbling at high speeds. When wobbling took place, they occurred at anything over 55 m.p.h., and could not be eliminated by any increase of speed. The wobbles were brought up either by the car passing over a piece of bad road, or by the application of brakes. Oil leaks from flywheel casing. I do not quite understand to what you refer when you mention oil leaks from flywheel casing. By flywheel casing, we presume you mean the aluminium covering over flywheel and clutch. We have experienced no oil leaks from this, and imagine the only possible leaks that could occur must necessarily be caused by oil leaking into this casing from No.12 main bearing, or from excess oil from the clutch trunnion. The only oil leaks we have experienced from this engine are as follows :- | ||