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).
Bentley petrol tank failures, focusing on the use of rivets versus soldering for baffles.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 106\2\ scan0196 | |
| Date | 4th March 1937 | |
| To EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Copy to Es. Ds. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} RMG. Hmy JDB. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} E/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}2/MN.4.3.37. Bentley Petrol Tank. We have gone into the petrol tank failures described by GWH{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} in his Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux}5/W.5.2.37. We learn that the design of the tank has been unchanged since the beginning of the Bentley car, and on experimental cars we have received no previous report of the trouble. Originally these baffles were held with many rivets and at the request of the Works we understand that these rivets were reduced wherever possible to nil, two rivets being placed in the base of each baffle to hold it in position during soldering. One at first sight is inclined to suggest that more rivets are needed in order that the joint may be strong enough to carry the weight of petrol which it has to do, owing to the bottom of the tank being almost flat. However, since the baffle is soldered it must follow that the rivets cannot do any work until the solder cracks. When the solder cracks we are told the rivets always leak. Therefore, it might be a better policy to do away with the rivets entirely, and we suggest that the Experimental Dept. might try both of these schemes on the bump rig when they are bumping a Bentley chassis. We have discussed the matter with the Repair Dept. and they say they have had two or three cases of this complaint, not on recent cars, and in each case they have formed the conclusion that the complaint results from insufficient cleaning after soldering setting up corrosion around the rivets, bearing out the Works suggestion that rivets in petrol tanks cause leaks. We suggest that nothing be done in the matter until further experimental tests have been made. EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} | ||