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).
Watford magneto issues, including oil leaks into the contact breaker and distributor failures.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 43\4\ Scan032 | |
| Date | 18th December 1926 | |
| Contd. -2- EFCL/T18.12.26. The timing of the Watford magneto would appear to be better arranged in this respect in that it takes a larger increase of the gap before misfiring begins. In actual results on the engine, however, the Watford magneto has suffered more from this cause because the oil does not appear to be so well excluded. In the case of the Watford, there is only a stop for the oil coming from the engine at the driving end of the magneto, and we have suggested that there should be an additional oil-tight gland at the contact breaker end bearing. It appears to us quite a serious matter to get oil at all in the contact breaker, and we are of the opinion that everything should be done to prevent it getting there. In regard to the suggested want of reliability referred to in report WB.{Mr Brazier/Mr Bell}118, there were also in mind various failures which we have had with the Watford distributors. It does not appear to us that these distributors should be made of bakelite material at all. None of the B.T.H. are. The distributors on the second pair of magnetos to our own order were of the radial type and one of these failed due to insufficient insulation. On two magnetos which have been back and have now been again received, the new distributors are of the axial exit type. It is now understood, ref. R5/M25.11.26 that we do not in any case want axial connections. Contd. | ||