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).
Car boiling issues, comparing models with and without 4-wheel brakes during tests in France and addressing complaints from Australia.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 24\5\ Scan020 | |
| Date | 28th April 1925 | |
| R.R. 499a (50m) (D.B. 175 25-9-24) J.H.D. EXPERIMENTAL REPORT. -3- Expl. No. REF: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}5/LG28.4.25. When running tests in France last year, the 40/50 HP. cars were in continual trouble with boiling. With the EAC. cars running under identical conditions, although they have had some fairly warm days, the water temperature so far has not reached above 90°C. We always find great difficulty in dealing with overheating complaints because of exaggerated reports. From the cables we have seen from Australia, one would assume that the 4-wheel brake cars boil as soon as they go on the road, whereas a car without 4-wheel brakes has never been known to boil. We can take out two cars, one fitted with 4-wheel brakes and the other a standard 40/50 HP. and with accurate measuring instrument can only detect very small differences. Last year PN.{Mr Northey} took 107 MG. to France which was a standard 40/50 HP. car without 4-wheel brakes and complained bitterly of overheating under normal conditions. It is surprising that even amongst our own people, the fact that the water boils is looked upon as being serious enough to make the car unuseable. There is no harm whatever in the water boiling. The fact that the water boils is no reason why the journey should be stopped. We have proved that a car can be boiling for 30 mins. continuously and still complete the journey with no ill effect. We are at the present time carrying out further tests on the 40/50 with and without 4-wheel brakes to see under the worst conditions, what the difference is. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||