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).
Progress report on vehicle testing covering issues with the clutch, brakes, dampers, and engine oil loss.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 1\4\ B001_X 100a-page085 | |
| Date | 30th November 1932 | |
| To Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} From G.W.H. 4057 hotel de france, chateauroux, FRANCE. 30.11.32. 2.PER.II. Your memo hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}18/MJ.28.11.32. received. I appreciate and realise the importance of mileage to obtain any serious developments of major failures, and have arranged the tests so that a definite 250 miles is run each day, get as much experimental work done as possible, check the results and proceed with further mileage. At the present time having lost mileage I am letting the clutch wait, but this will be tackled this weekend. With regard to the clutch, the transmission rattle has developed approx. 50% to what it was. This, i feel sure, we shall find to be caused by the vulcanising of the rubbers to the end plates. To take the clutch down and re-erect means practically the loss of a day, and at the moment i feel we must increase the mileage. I am sorry you are bothering about the damper brackets as i have already sent a sketch to Paris for two to be made in mild steel, as i thought this would be quicker than applying to you, and would be quite as satisfactory. RE. BRAKES. We find that there is a certain amount of wind up of the toggle shaft on the rear brakes apart from the brake toggles giving way, the rest is in the drums. These do not appear to be as solid as previous ribbed drums. With regard to H.Grylls' memo, we have looked into the question of the points he raises. We have not been troubled with the lock washer, but the lubricator had certainly been fouling. We have taken this off altogether because its usefullness is nullified by oil getting on to the ferodo bush from above. Our swinging arm does not move as our brakes are fairly evenly set. RE. DAMPERS. We have further decreased the load to approx. 70 lbs. With this load we feel that we have gone as far as is possible to maintain all round results. The steering is now being affected and more joggles are noticeable. RE. LOSS OF OIL FROM ENGINE. We are collecting 1/2 pint of engine oil in 250 miles. | ||