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).
Supply issues with Hall's metal bearings and the commercial need for a more durable alternative.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 146\3\ scan0077 | |
| Date | 4th September 1936 | |
| SRI/ET.4.9.36 - 3 - The trouble seems to be that, although it would now appear that the latest type Hall's metal is the bearing to fit for mains and big ends, we have not got a supply of these bearings and we therefore cannot carry out our original program. I have not troubled you in this memo with technical details, but we are compiling a technical memo which will be forwarded to your goodself, with copies to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} and Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} To summarise: A; - We should appreciate a main bearing capable of standing up to Continental conditions and we consider by this that we should not have to change it before the car has covered, under normal running conditions, between 45,000 and 50,000 miles. This would do away with the very expensive job of pulling the engines down after a very short mileage and upsetting the customers, who do not like leaving the cars in our workshops for 10 to 12 days. B. - We should like to be told definitely that the improved type Hall's metal bearing is the one to fit in these cases and to have an ample stock of same, which seems to be a very difficult matter. C. - From a commercial point of view, I should like your ruling as to whether we are to go ahead on the lines originally set out and do our best to fit new bearings as and when we think that cars are ready for them, incorporating at the same time a decarbonise for which we get payment from the customer. This of course works quite well when it is only a question of big end bearings, but if the main bearings are also going to fail, which is apparent, the job becomes a far more important one. I do not want you to think that I have unnecessarily got the wind up, which is not my custom, but I really consider that, if we do not immediately take action, we are going to get ourselves into a real mess over here, quite apart from spoiling our market which, until the recent political situation arose, was remarkable and, in spite of everything, seems to be gradually coming back again. | ||