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).
Modifications to a Le Mans racing engine, specifically the fitting of a large oil pump and disappointing test results from Brooklands.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\4\ Scan233 | |
| Date | 22th May 1936 | |
| W/P - Sr. x262 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}9/KW.22.5.36. Le Mans. There is one point I forgot to mention in my specification of modifications to the engine, and that is that we fit a large oil pump to the racing engine. We have of course fitted a number of these pumps to customers' cars but it is not a standard fitting. Knowing W.O. Bentley's attitude towards the car, we want to be sure that we do not leave him any loophole for his complaints. After tests on Brooklands we have come to the conclusion that Hall gets about 1 1/2 miles per hour out of his body and in so doing increases the weight of the car by rather over 1 cwt. This is very disappointing. However, with the big engine it should still put up a fair show. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||