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 The S.U. Company detailing a report on a spare petrol pump failure.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\2\ Scan139 | |
| Date | 4th April 1933 | |
| x 2677. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}4/KT. April 4th 1933. T.C.Skinner Esq., The S.U. Company, East Works, Bordesley Green Road, Adderley Park, B'ham. Dear Mr.Skinner, Many thanks for your letter of the 3rd. inst. The same morning that it arrived, we received the following report from our tester in France. "The spare petrol pump fitted, gave out on the road during yesterday's run. The failure was caused by the breaking of the two fibre rollers, or blocks, on the spring controlled lever. The blocks limit the movement, and without these blocks the magnet holds the lever, and it will not release. The failure of the first pump was partly caused by the breaking of the fibre blocks, and the failure of the springs to operate, the mechanism getting over the centre. We believe we can make it work satisfactorily by fitting rubber blocks instead of fibre. We reported on the 31.3.33. that the failure of the pump had not affected the running of the car. We have since come to the conclusion that the failure must have occurred just prior to the car finishing its mileage, as the failure was not found until we were testing the pumps in the garage. We had not noticed that one appeared to be doing all the clattering. It is obvious from yesterday's results that this must be the case" cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} | ||