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).
Investigation report on a seized rear axle and defective oil seals on chassis 3.AZ.172.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 146\5\ scan0115 | |
| Date | 2nd March 1939 | |
| To Rolls-Royce Ltd. Derby..........Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy} Copy to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} Derby S. London Tr{Capt. F. W. Turner - Finance}/Mgn. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Derby H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} London D/RD Derby 1245 Sr. is absent Levallois VAr/WT.2.3.39 Re: CHASSIS 3.AZ.172 - Sir Norman J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} WATSON Bart. ------------------------------------------------- ( Mileage: 18,504 miles as per speedometer) (Seizure of rear axle gears) ------------------------------------------------- With reference to Sr/VAr/WT.23.2.39, Tr{Capt. F. W. Turner - Finance}/MgnI3/WL. 22.2.39 and Tr{Capt. F. W. Turner - Finance}/MgnII/WL.23.2.39, we have now completely dismantled the rear axle of this car (please refer to the last paragraph on Page I of Sr/VAR/ET.23.2.39), and we are fitting the new gears sent to us by the Works to replace the original ones which, as previously explained, had badly seized on both sides of the teeth, owing to lack of oil. After the dismantling of the axle, we found the following: 1. The o/s "Perfect Oil Seal" is defective, inasmuch as the seal leather has been rotating inside its housing. We are sending you this oil seal together with the n/s one, which appears to be O.K., for examination. They are being sent by Air Mail. There is scarcely any wear on the o/s axle shaft, where the seal leather makes contact, which indicates that the leather seal has been rotating with the shaft. 2. There is a certain amount of wear on the n.s axle shaft, where the seal leather makes contact, which would indicate, up to a certain point, that the n/s oil seal has been functioning correctly. Also there is no trace of oil leakage past the n/s seal. 3. We found a quantity of oil on the o/s axle shaft, and also in and around the interior of the o/s axle tube, and there was also a fairly large quantity of oil in the o/s hub. The above will show that there has been an oil leakage past the o/s oil seal. As mentioned in our Sr/VAr/ET.23.2.39, we only found a very small quantity of oil in the axle, viz. less than would half fill a normal glass. | ||