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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).
Tests on steering lubricants and the efficiency of various oils to prevent tightening up.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 32\4\  Scan263
Date  27th August 1927
  
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} RG.{Mr Rowledge}
c. to OY.

X1588

Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RnL/LG27.8.27.

STEERINGS. Y8430

We have been carrying out further tests on steerings. We find that a number of the production steerings are now so good that they can be lubricated with Mobile 'E' oil and yet shew no signs of tightening up.

As Mobile 'E' oil is far and away the worst of a number of oils that we have tried with regard to this particular complaint, we are more than ever convinced that the American trouble is mainly due to difficulties in manufacture if they get tightening up with an oil such as Motorine 'C'.

We have carried out comparative tests of a number of oils. In order to do this we used an inefficient worm and nut which could actually be made to stiffen up somewhat with Prices amber gear oil which is the best oil we have so far tried. Calling the efficiency of this oil 100% for the time being, though we hope to discover a better oil, the attached report gives the relative efficiency of various types of oil.

Iso-Vis is the lubricant used in the steering boxes by Springfield. It is a very thick black compound of high viscosity.

It will be observed from the appended graph of viscosities that though viscosity has a very definite tendency to eliminate sticking at high temperatures, contd :-
  
  


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