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).
Definition and cause of 'engine thuds' in various car models, particularly the Phantom and Silver Ghost.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 65\4\ scan0338 | |
| Date | 19th May 1926 | |
| W/S CWB c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. JLE.{J. Lee Evans - Chassis Test Manager} Lillie Hall. 48050 EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}4/H19.5.26. re. Engine Thuds. Reference Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}3/LG8.5.26. With reference to your CWB1/GM17.5.26. I am afraid there may be some misunderstanding as to what is your actual meaning of the word 'thud'. Personally, I have not considered that the Phantom does suffer from this disease, which is peculiarly bad with the Silver Ghost type of engine, it being a thump which is felt throughout the car when picking up under full throttle conditions, which is described fairly fully in Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}' memo above referred to. I have not experienced similar trouble on any Phantom car, and such cars as I have handled which have been complained of by Sales Dept. as having this trouble, have been more of an engine whip, i.e. bus knock or engine throb, which is more of a noise and is not felt throughout the car, and is quite different from the Silver Ghost 'thud' complaint. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} I feel sure, appreciates this point, and a bad case of this trouble I have recently illustrated to him. This fault was found due to a faulty constructional feature of the spring drive. The engine whip exists more or less with all our engines (including Silver Ghost) It is a question of degree. What Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} requires is a case sufficiently pronounced to investigate and not due to any obvious constructional fault. EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} | ||