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).
Engine running-in procedures and tests to investigate and prevent piston seizure.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 87\2\ scan0056 | |
| Date | 17th April 1935 guessed | |
| -5- Running In. We ran a production engine up to 4250 r.p.m. for 15 minutes after it had completed its normal running in period, to see if our standard method of running in was sufficient, but found that the engine behaved perfectly without any signs of seizure. We have had one case of pistons seizing on one of our units, in which the pistons had not been given our normal running in, but our production method of running in seems to be quite satisfactory, so that we can almost certainly discount faulty running in as the cause of the seizures. In order to produce a seizure practically the only course left is to try starting tests under cold climatic conditions with an engine having new bearings. To do this of course we shall have to use a freezing chamber. The most likely method of preventing seizure appears to be the use of the extra cylinder lubrication scheme, in which a small hole is drilled in the side of the drilled up type of connecting rod at present on production. This of course may increase very slightly the oil consumption (the measurements taken on the test bed actually showed no increase) but at any rate it appears to be the best way of avoiding the trouble at the moment. It will of course be equivalent to giving a greater flow of oil from the main bearings with the advantage that it can be controlled fairly well. We have done several test on the road to try and seize pistons, but these tests are covered in the report by HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/FD.{Frank Dodd - Bodies} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/R.Matthews. | ||