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 to the Ethyl Export Corporation regarding a customer's bearing failure due to lead bromide corrosion in the crankshaft.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 150\1\ scan0017 | |
| Date | 14th May 1935 | |
| X1282 Exptl. Dept. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}20/KW. 14th May, 1935. F.R. Banks Esq., Ethyl Export Corporation, Abford House, Victoria, LONDON, S.W.1. Dear Banks, We have had a somewhat alarming experience on a customer's car. He came in with bearing failure a week or two ago, having done 22,000 miles. The car left the factory 10.8.33. We found that all his crankshaft pin oilers had corroded in the manner indicated by the two which we send you herewith. Our laboratory tell us that the corrosion is due to lead bromide. It will be noticed that corrosion has taken place where the sludge has built up in the crankshaft pin. It is our experience that the crankshaft acts as a centrifugal cleaner and deposits the heavier particles in the oil on its outside diameter. For this reason we drill the oil feed out of the crankpin below its diameter, so that these foreign particles do not find their way into the big end bearings. If you know of any treatment of aluminium to avoid this trouble, we shall be glad to have particulars. Yours sincerely, FOR ROLLS-ROYCE LIMITED. | ||