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).
Letter to Wellworthy Piston Rings Ltd. discussing the use of Babbitt and A.C.9 materials for engine main bearings.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 115\4\ scan0014 | |
| Date | 20th July 1939 | |
| 1020a. Rmll/R.{Sir Henry Royce} 20th July, 1939. F.{Mr Friese} Blackith, Esq., Wellworthy Piston Rings Ltd., LYMINGTON, Hants: Dear Blackith, Thank you for your letter of the 17th July. We have not run any Chrome plated shafts. It is possible that some of the slow speed Diesel engines may get away with A.C.9 main bearings. We definitely do not recommend this material, however, for high speed petrol engine main bearings. We say that nobody can use a better shaft than we are using, or provide better lubrication, and yet we have re-designed the crankshafts to use Babbit bearings after four years of A.C.9 on the mains. In other words, we have no desire to run anything better than A.C.9 big-ends, but if we can use Babbit on the main bearings we prefer to do so every time. This is a result of four years' experience in service. We do not think this is anything of which to be ashamed. The fact that we have the finest big-end material we know of is something of an achievement. We should not like the big-end material to be damned by main bearing troubles. You can take it that it has cost us a big sum of money to find out this information. Yours sincerely, | ||