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).
On the performance of a lightened clutch and flywheel after 10,000 miles, detailing a rusting issue with the ball race and lubrication problems.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\S\September1928-October1928\ Scan120 | |
| Date | 1st October 1928 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} c. to BJ. WoR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} ORIGINAL Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn{Mr Robinson}5/LG2. 10.28. LIGHTENED CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL (NO.5.) X7300 SERRATED UNIVERSAL JOINT. L.O.P. G.76429. This has now run 10,000 miles on 12-EX. It has functioned perfectly satisfactorily with the exception of one feature. The ball race in which the shaft bearing the driven plate slides, which is secured in a housing in the flywheel, rusted up and prevented the clutch stopping up and disengaging properly. This happened during the visit to Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence on 12-EX car this year. We admit the design is the same as we have been using for a very long time on production. The means of lubricating this ball race through the clutch shaft does not seem very satisfactory, and, from the condition of the universal joints dismantled in the Repair Dept., this lubrication point is neglected at present in service. We feel, in consequence, that it may be even more easily over-looked with one-shot lubrication. Whilst, therefore, we wish to standardise the improvements afforded by the lightened clutch, we should prefer not to perpetuate this feature which has already given a certain amount of trouble. Possibly the fact that the shaft cannot be got at by lifting the detachable floorboards, i.e., those screwed down have to be removed, may account for a portion of the neglect. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} | ||