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).
Visit to the Wilcox-Rich Saginaw valve tappet plant to investigate their hydraulic tappets.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 174\2\ img084 | |
| Date | 4th April 1937 | |
| (0) DETROIT. E.1/HP.4.4.37. Der c.c. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} C. Lde-Nev for lm/Orylls. Wilcox-Rich - Hydraulic Tappets. We paid a visit last Wednesday to the Saginaw valve tappet plant of Wilcox-Rich where both plain and hydraulic tappets are being produced. The hydraulic pattern, which is of the simple pressure fed direct acting type has been adopted on a number of makes, and Ford is testing it with a view to adopting it to cut out criticism of tappet noise on the Lincoln Zephyr. The Ford scheme of tappet consisting of a piston the full diameter of the tappet face into which the standard hydraulic unit is dropped would suit us very well on the Wraith. The wearing face is of chrome moly. steel welded on. I think we ought to get out a scheme for trying these tappets, and am enclosing herewith a blueprint of T-2841-A Lincoln Zephyr tappet, blueprint TL.596 showing normal mushroom tappet scheme, and leaflets of "Schematic layout", and "Improved engine performance". The suggestion with regard to cam lengths put forward in the last named does not apply in R.R. case as we always base our timings on .020 tappet clearances. A further report will be issued later dealing with the details of the visit to the plant. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} | ||