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).
Investigating a misfiring complaint on Professor Dodds' Bentley, chassis B-34-GA, which was traced to a faulty petrol pump.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90\2\ scan0144 | |
| Date | 15th October 1936 | |
| To Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}: c: to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} xnb1 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/FD.{Frank Dodd - Bodies}5/JH.15.10.36. re Professor Dodds' Bentley - B-34-GA; This car was brought into the Experimental on 1.10.36. reported to be misfiring in the region of 2,800 and 3,000 R.P.M. on accelerating after using the car for town use during the week, where speeds of 30 M.P.H. had not been exceeded for a period of 200 miles. We tested the car out but could not find any trace of the trouble, and it was decided to return the car to Professor Dodds, and get him to demonstrate his complaint. With this object in view, the writer took the car to London on Friday 2.10.36. Between Cricklewood and Lillie Hall the petrol pump failed whilst being held up at traffic light. the engine was started however after a slight delay, and the pump was changed at Lillie Hall for a later type fitted with C-3 diaphragms. It proved on investigation that the cause of failure was due to shrinkage of the diaphragms. The writer interviewed the Professor on Saturday and he suggested that we run the car over the same route out of London to the start of the Great West Road, where usually the trouble was first encountered. This we did, but we could not detect any trace of misfire. As the car had been driven hard from London to Derby and return and at the Works in trying to locate the trouble, I suggested that the car should be run for another week under town conditions and that we tried again the following Saturday. | ||