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).
Letter concerning the temporary fitment and testing of Delco ignition systems on the Rolls-Royce Eagle engine.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 163\7\ img003 | |
| Date | 23th September 1918 | |
| [Handwritten note in blue ink]: N Hives [Stamped number]: x4287a [Stamped seal]: MD 12 OCT 1918 OY9-F239 18 Worcester, Mass. Sept. 23rd, 1918 BY-from TY:- Copies R.{Sir Henry Royce} J.{Mr Johnson W.M.}, EH and B RE DELCO IGNITION 1. We are shipping you three sets of Delco ignition, designed and built as a temporary fitment for testing out the ignition on the Rolls-Royce Eagle engine. 2. You will find I think that while some of the temporary fittings leave much to be desired in the way of design, the standard parts, for example the distributor, generator, etc., are well designed and manufactured. They are practically standard with the Liberty parts, except that the distributor contacts have been altered in shape to permit of equal firing intervals, and one contact breaker has been altered to run in the reverse direction, both camshafts on the Liberty running in the same direction. The advance rod which couples the two distributors together will in our case have to run diagonally across the engine, and will probably [document torn] the induction pipes and have to be bent out to miss them. 3. The carbon contacts of the distributor are not standard Delco practice, but were preferred by the Liberty engineers. Their small size is objectionable. However, the Delco people tell me that due to the hard rubber surface of the distributor track and extensive researches leading to a proper hard grade of carbon, excessive wear of this part has been prevented. The standard practice of the Delco Company would be to use a steel button [struck through text] instead of the carbon, and in general a face distributor. 4. I understand that there have been complaints on this ignition | ||