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 and tests concerning Prices Lubricating Oil in Phantom III engines.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 144\1\ scan0274 | |
| Date | 1st April 1937 | |
| 1225 S/W [Handwritten note]: Pym/Symon[?] Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} draft with this I think you better carry on By S3/C1.4.37 Re. Prices Lubricating Oil on Phantom III engines. [Stamp: RECEIVED 14 APR 1937] We understand Prices have been in communication with you again in regard to this matter. They have recently discovered that we have left Prices oil out of the Phantom III instruction book. We still feel that there is a possibility of our not having been fair to Prices, as we do not appear to have had any really authentic proof that their oil is any dirtier than other lubricating oils. They now point out that you had informed them that you have not had any long experience of Prices oils, because all our tests were carried out on Castrol XL. They say that if this is so, why do we put in our instruction books other makes of oil than 'XL' and select only Motorine C. to be left out. So far, the evidence we have had is that in the early days of Phantom III deliveries we had one or two of the filters on the valve adjustment mechansim system silted up with sludge, and in these one or two cases the oil was found to be Prices. We found, however, that after once cleaning this did not occur again. Because of the doubt, however, we instructed that two of our Trials cars should be emptied out of all oil, and one refilled with Prices and one with Castrol, and run over a period. We then saw the two filters and undoubtedly the one using Castrol had much more sludge, etc. in it than the other one which had been using Prices. We advised Experimental of this and Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} at the time said that you had found another main filter which had not only got very dirty but was disintegrating. This was sent to Prices. They analysed the filth and gave you a report upon it; they denied that it was due to sludge, but was a mixture of many other things, which all oils would suffer from. They further stated that this filter had been allowed to run to death instead of being cleaned at regular intervals as recommended in our instruction book. They also contend that they cleaned their oils long before any of the present advertised brands and that the latter are only stating an accepted fact and making an advertising appeal on it. Incidentally we have been using Prices at Lillie Hall in some of the Demonstration cars. | ||