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).
List of engineering suggestions for engine and chassis design modifications, based on photographs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 124\2\ scan0389 | |
| Date | 12th January 1944 guessed | |
| 2. (6) Consideration should be given to using a solid crankshaft without boring the pins or journals as there is an appreciable saving here. If it is found necessary to bore the pins and journals then pressed steel oil caps should be used. (7) Toco hardening of the crankshaft should be investigated. (8) Must we have double taper valve springs. If we must have two springs can they not be parallel. (9) The bottom valve spring washers should be unmachined pressings and the top valve spring washers should be simplified in their detail design. (10) The connecting rods should be left in the as forged condition on the shank and only machined for the bolts at the large and small ends. (11) I am not familiar with the latest bearing position on the chassis engine, but it seems likely that silver lead plated direct on to the rod is likely to be as economical as any, and certainly a first class bearing from the operational point of view. (12) Vs{J. Vickers} is already experimenting in conjunction with us on oil pump gears made from pressed powder. This material should also be suitable for inlet and exhaust valve guides. We are in fact already running these on our development engines. (13) A small point, but we note that the relief valve caps have got milled hexagons. We should of course want to make these and all similar parts out of Hexagon bar. (14) We also note that stepped and shoulder studs are used in the cylinder head. We would suggest parallel studs. (15) We note that Rolls Royce spherical unions are used on the pipe connections. We would suggest standard AGS parts or some other B.S.S. standard. You will note that these comments refer to the engine only, and are necessarily very tentative, because they are based on photographs and not drawings. They do indicate, however, that as a result of the experience we have gained during the past [text crossed out] years on modifying the detail design of the aero engine to make it easier to produce, there is a lot than can be done in the same way on the rationalised chassis. My own feeling is that we should have no difficulty in cutting the price of the chassis down to something very considerably less than twice the cost of the next best. Psn. | ||