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).
Investigation into a complaint about Watford EW6 magnetos causing starting difficulties and backward firing on a Phantom II engine.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 65\3\ scan0428 | |
| Date | 15th January 1931 | |
| E.7C. X.7791 Date 15-1-31 Ref. No WE 72. (see report EFC2/ADL 6.1.31) X.NOS. 7791 Watford EW6 magnetos. We had complaint made to us this week that the Phantom II engine is difficult to start from cold by hand on magneto ignition only, also that when the engine bounced backward from a compression stroke the magnetos will easily fire backwards, the lever being fully retarded, and run the engine a few revs. backward exhausting into the carburetter with consequent fire risk. One car in particular was bad in this respect 27EX (R's chassis) and we arranged for the magnetos to be taken off and sent into the lab for investigation, fitting an EW6A magnetos with Tungsten points in its place. Upon testing the magnetos on the bench we found that the lowest regular sparking speed occurred when the magnetos was retarded and run in the reverse rotation i.e. anticlockwise the lever position then being | ||