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).
Potential recommendation of Cleveland Discol fuel and its associated gumming issues.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 150\1\ scan0089 | |
| Date | 10th December 1935 | |
| -> S/W...Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} C5/C10.12.35 Re CLEVELAND DISCOL FUEL. With further reference to your memo, Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}15/KW23.11.35, we have noted contents of your memo. but this is not very conclusive, inasmuch as the question before us at the moment is from the makers of the fuel, and they ask definitely whether we do or do not recommend Discol. There is no question of it being used for touring on the Continent only as an alternative to some fuel of a lesser quality. It is really a question of their pushing it in this Country and whether we are going to give it our blessing or not. Our experience of some of the alcohol fuels on the Continent in the hands of private customers is not at all encouraging from the point of view of gumming up parts; in fact we have had rather unpleasant experiences. Apart from this we have looked up the previous correspondence on this question and have found EY/Cgh{W Clough}12/G16.10.35. copy of which is attached, together with report from FDR. referred to therein. So that the position is that from a mechanical point of view it would appear that harm is likely to occur if the report from the Clyde Shipbuilding Companies is to be believed, and from our own experience gumming up does take place. Of course our experience is not in respect of Discol necessarily, but presumably the best of this type of petrol that can be obtained. We believe the fuels of France and Germany are the worst because of the compulsory fairly substantial alcoholic content. We do, therefore, wish to get the Technical Officials considered view of the use of this before we advise them as to whether we recommend it or not. Naturally if we do recommend it their travellers will show our letter or a copy of it to every garage in England. Perhaps you can confirm the laboratory tests of the Shipbuilding Companies, or otherwise. C. | ||