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).
Technical review of improvements to Cadillac V-8, V-12, and V-16 models, focusing on the 'Knee Action' suspension and cold air intake.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 173\1\ img125 | |
| Date | 26th January 1934 guessed | |
| Cadillac V-16 equipped with Fleetwood phaeton body Fleetwood town car on V-16 chassis Three Improved CADILLACS With “Knee Action” aluminum oxide. This is a definite chemical compound which is securely locked to the piston surface by chemical forces. This coating is hardest next to the aluminum of the piston, being considerably harder than chromium. Another outstanding feature which is common to both the La{L. A. Archer} Salle and the Cadillacs is a cold air intake. Carburetor air, instead of being taken from under the hood, is drawn through a large diameter flexible tube which connects to a hole in the top tank of the radiator. Thus, the air which enters through this opening is at atmospheric temperature and it heated very little during the brief instant it requires to travel to the carburetor. Among other things, engine power depends on the weight of the charge entering the cylinders, and charge weight depends on temperature—the lower the temperature the greater the weight. Temperatures under the hood naturally vary with car speed and atmospheric temperature. For example, the under-hood temperature might be as low as 130 degrees in cold weather, 200 degrees in summer when the outside temperature is 75, and 250 degrees in Death Valley. With this new cold air duct, the rise in temperature on the way to the carburetor might be 20 degrees, making the temperature at the carburetor 95 degrees instead of 200 degrees. Charge weight varies according to absolute temperature. At zero Fahrenheit the absolute temperature is 460 degrees. Therefore the absolute temperature at 95 degrees is 555 degrees (460 plus 95), and the absolute temperature at 200 degrees is 660 degrees (460 plus 200). Therefore the increase in charge weight is 660 divided by 555, and the answer is 1.19. In other words, the increase in power under the conditions assumed is 19 per cent. The cooler charge is less susceptible to detonation and therefore more spark advance may be used. In consequence the fuel economy of the V-12 and V-16 has been improved more than 1 mile per gallon, and the gain on the V-8 is 1½ miles per gallon. A compression ratio of 6 to 1 is used on all cars. The stabilizer inhibits rolling on turns. Above—Cadillac V-8 and V-12 sedan and convertible feature of these new cars is the adoption of independently sprung front wheels, with vast improvement in riding quality. Each wheel spindle is attached to two sturdy drop-forged yoke lever arms, while the weight over each wheel is supported by a coil spring. Two-way hydraulic shock absorbers are used front and rear. The latter are the inertia type. Ride control, adjustable from the driver's seat, is continued. The adoption of the new spring suspension has reduced the unsprung weight at the front by 100 pounds on the Cadillac. Whereas it was 460 pounds it is now 360. This alone makes a great improvement in comfort but in addition the use of coil springs, which are much softer than leaf springs, practically eliminates pitching, with proportional improvement of the back seat ride. Moving the engines forward (as much as 8 inches on the... | ||