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).
Ignition failure on chassis 58.S.7. and the subsequent investigation and repair.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 46\3\ Scan199 | |
| Date | 27th March 1924 | |
| X.3445. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}/HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}35/027.3.24. Re. Chassis 58.S.7. - Middlemass. On or about the 10th.instant the owner complained to the Clyde Auto.Co.,Glasgow, that his battery ignition had failed on the road at Prestwich, and that he had had to be towed into Ayr. Our representative, Mr. Reid, who is stationed at the Clyde Auto. was at Aberdeen at the time, and the Clyde Auto. therefore sent one of their mechanics to Ayr to drive the car back to Glasgow. The mechanic reported that he found the insulation had oozed out of the ends of the low tension cables on to the terminals of the ballast resistance, and that on cleaning this off the engine started O.K. However, the owner asked our representative to go over the battery ignition to see that everything was in order. Our man fitted new type low tension cables, and on dismantling the ballast resistance found that the conical base of one of the terminals was almost entirely coated with what appeared to be part of the insulating material of which the base block is composed, or else shellac. Before cleaning this off he pointed out to the Clyde mechanic, who had previously attended to the car, who mentioned that he had already cleaned one of the terminal screws and that he left them both bright. The condenser was also changed to the new type. On the 22nd. instant our man wired for a new coil and ballast resistance which we at once despatched. The owner had reported to our representative on Saturday morning, the 22nd. instant, that he had been held up on the previous night through ignition failure, and had left the car at Ballantrae. Our man therefore borrowed a coil from another chassis, and fetched the car back to Glasgow on Saturday afternoon. The original coil had failed, and the borrowed one was used and did the 70 mile journey with no trouble. The ballast resistance was changed, and the original one has been returned by our man with the faulty coil. We have examined both these parts, and find the coil to be faulty. It fails to spark at all, the primary contd. | ||