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).
Response to various reported complaints about an open trials car, including noises and a radiator leak.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 38\1\ Scan065 | |
| Date | 14th April 1920 | |
| PN.{Mr Northey} from EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. to EH. c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} A.T. [Stamped] RE. 19-LW. - PN{Mr Northey}'S OPEN TRIALS CAR. I am sorry not to have/received your promised letter giving me details of your/complaints, as I am not quite happy that we understand exactly what the complaints are as conveyed to us by Boot, and by the conversation we had with you on the telephone this morning. With regard to the noise of the slack in the drive", we are not quite sure whether the/complaint is one of "chunking" in the drive owing to the uneven running engine or changing over from the engine driving to the engine being driven, or whether it is due to the dull rattling noise which comes from the side shaft and can be cured by adding some friction to the side shaft itself. From Boot's description andalso yours on the telephone, I rather feel that the latter was the actual complaint, especially in view of the fact that you state this had suddenly come on, which I do not feel would be the case as regards slack in the drive. In any case we are afraid we cannot see any effective cure unless we replace the present axle and gear box with one specially made with tight fitting gears and working parts, and tight fitting side shaft gears, which we cannot ask the Works to produce unless by special instructions. As regards slack in the drive, we feel that for 5,000 miles it is no worse than any other R.R. car, and with regard to the side shaft noise, it is quite normal and we cannot advocate closer fitting gears, Ya point which Mr.Royce is already cognisant of. [Handwritten note below: Theses] With regard to the radiator, we are replacing this so that we can investigate the present radiator and report on the cause of the leak. With regard to the magneto noise, we feel that this is quite good, and certainly were not during our tests here able to conceive any distinct noise from the magneto, and would have great difficulty in obtaining a quieter one than [Handwritten correction: from] those which we now have on test. As regards the knock in the engine, this we have not been able to obtain, and we understand it can only be obtained by the engine starting up from dead cold. We shall not therefore be able to hear this until first thing tomorrow morning. | ||