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).
Findings on foot brake leverage, radiator mounting, cross steering tube load, and engine lubrication.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5a\3\ 03-page143 | |
| Date | 28th November 1931 | |
| -2- that the water was not circulating at the slow speeds, and we had been mislead by it. RE. FOOT BRAKE LEVERAGE. We were going to increase the foot brake leverage on the front be fitting the lever for the equalising box, when we found that the lever handed over to us for this job was identical to the one already in. The centres of this lever is 1.75" in-stead of being 2.150", that you asked for and what is stated in the specification of 18.G.IV. Therefore, we telegraphed you first thing this morning to let us have a correct lever to increase the braking up to 37.1/2% as we find that we can do with it. We are getting too much rear braking. RE. RADIATOR MOUNTING. The radiator mounting on the N.S. has failed. The cup made of bakelite has broken in two, one portion is missing. This caused the radiator to drop down and rest on the crossmember. We noticed last week that the radiator had dropped in this corner but did not report upon it until we had verified the cause. Will you please, therefore, let us have another bakelite support. We have temporarily fitted a rubber block. RE. CROSS STEERING TUBE LOAD. We have received your memo of 28/11/31. We are carefully watching the cross steering tube loads and can give you the information up to date. We very carefully set the load to 10 lbs. and after 200 miles it had dropped to 9.1/2 lbs. It has remained consistent for the last 500 miles. We are again going to check the load after today's run. There is one of the brass contacts that is not bearing over its area, and this probably is the one that is the cause of the alteration in load. I brought out a 2-3" micrometer, and steel blocks, purposely to check the measurements of the spring and contacts, also we have checked the diameter of the bells. We are therefore in a position to say, within .001, whether any wear has taken place. ENGINE LUBRICATION. We are very much surprised at the state you say you have found the engine of 19.G.IV. as we had always considered Castrol XL. Oil to be equal if not better, than Price's Mobiloil. We can definitely say that no carbon was disturbed off the pistons on 19.G.IV. although the head was decarbonised when we attended to the valves. The condition therefore is for the 15,000 miles. With 18.G.IV. we had the head off yesterday but I gave strict instructions that no carbon was to be touched whatsoever, and only loose pieces to be removed. We shall stick to this if we have to again dismantle the head. There is a fair amount of carbon on top of the pistons which are causing the detonations which we have reported. [Handwritten on left margin]: For Mr Tapp Please let me have this by Thursday W.R. | ||