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).
The design of short connecting rods for the 40/50 chassis, comparing white metal bearings to brasses for ease of repair.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 35\2\ scan 048 | |
| Date | 26th April 1917 | |
| H.R. 235a (500 T) (S.D. 408. 26-4-17.) Bm. 2/156/13. To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from EH. c. to U. c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} X.3400 EH1/LG/7219. X.3429.-SHORT CONNECTING RODS FOR 40/50 CHASSIS. X.3400. We have received Mr. Royce's wire stating that these short rods should not have brasses but have the white metal fixed direct on to the steel. We have got a set of these rods fitted to an engine which are made with brasses. We hope to be running these in the course of a few days. We should like to put forward reasons why we consider connecting rods with brasses are more suitable for car work. (1) For repair and replacements. We suggest it is essential that any car we make it should be possible to repair in a good repair shop in any part of the world. If the connecting rod bearings with brasses are used it is quite an easy matter to send on new bushes which any average mechanic would be able to fit. It has been arranged that improved methods should be used in producing the rods and bushes so that they will be inter-changeable except for bedding to the crankshaft. The cost of the new bushes is comparatively small so that a stock of these could be kept at all service stations. With the white metal for the big end bearings fixed direct on to the steel, we think it would be a fearful job when it came to repair. In the first place the repair could not be attempted unless there were suitable machines to bore the big end out after white metalling and milling (Contd) | ||