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).
Engine faults including stuck valves, cracked exhaust seats due to boiling, and a cracked chassis front cross member.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 46\2\ Scan266 | |
| Date | 20th May 1922 | |
| X.4086. To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} Hotel de l'Ouest, Laval. May 20th.1922. 6-Goshawk-11 X.4086. I confirm having today wired you for a rear cylinder head complete with valves. As already reported trouble was experienced with No.5 cylinder inlet valve sticking and also with No.1 cylinder exhaust valve stretching. Since then No.1 cylinder has lost compression and No.5 cylinder exhaust valve has stuck open. The valve was tight in the guide and there appears to be distortion although no actual seizing. We therefore removed the cylinder head this morning and found all the exhaust valve seats cracked some badly in two places. We also found No.1 exhaust valve badly burnt similar to those sometimes found in aero engines. The car is therefore unfit to run and we require the new head before we can run again. The damage may be due to boiling as it has been impossible to avoid this when running full throttle in hot weather. It is certain that the fan and cooling generally must be made more efficient. Assuming that it is the boiling and hard running which has have caused the valve seats to crack, it is rather disturbing to think that the penalty for boiling the water should be such a heavy one. On examining the chassis we also find that the flange of the front cross member is cracked in the same place as the crack on 5-G-11. Please send out a new cross member, and let me know the easiest way to fit it as I remember there is some trouble in getting it into the frame. The tie rod under the rear axle is also quite loose contd:- | ||