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 Leyland Motors inquiring about dry cylinder liners and discussing aluminium engine components.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 140\3\ scan0222 | |
| Date | 24th August 1938 | |
| 1175. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}4/R.{Sir Henry Royce} 24th August, 1938. V.W. Pilkington, Esq., Leyland Motors Ltd., Leyland, Lancs: Dear Pilkington, Sorry to bother you again, but I wonder whether you could let me have any information as to the limits you use when you fit dry liners into your cylinder block ? Also, the thickness of liner employed and the thickness of the surrounding iron. Incidentally, I understand you are running a Cub cylinder block and crankcase in aluminium in inserted liners and that this was made off a cast iron pattern. We are just about to run a similar experiment ourselves, and shall be glad to know whether you consider a useful piece of apparatus could be provided in this manner, or whether you think that making aluminium castings from iron patterns is fundamentally unsound. We have run dry liners in aluminium on experimental engines over long periods and have not had any trouble so that should you encounter any problems we should be happy to give you particulars of the materials and dimensions that we use. As the experiment was conducted some 5/6 years ago, the specific output of the engines was not very high. You will probably be interested to hear that we have had a very promising report from the Bristol Aeroplane Co. on their aluminium tin bearing which they are trying out on our big-ends, which is one of the most difficult bearing problems in the industry. We shall be interested to hear what progress you are making with crankshafts. How are you getting on with the servo clutch springs ? Yours sincerely, | ||