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).
Brake issues, intermittent dynamo failures, and a dirty starter motor.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\2\ Scan401 | |
| Date | 21th November 1930 | |
| Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/GWHl/AD21.11.30 contd. -3- The owner of this car had driven approx. 30 miles with the hand brake on and was prepared to pay for the relining of the brake shoes and trimming up of the brake drums, but as stated, the result was inefficient brakes. This is pointed out so that the question of sponginess and the thickness of the brake drums can be taken up with W.W. in conjunction with the heat effect. Dynamo Failures. XJ-167 Intermittent failure. WR-128 " These failures are due, in the first place, to the sticking of the control brush which makes the output of the dynamo vary. The position of the control brush on Phantom I is such that it is liable to collect dirt in the holder causing the brush to bind. The chauffeur then, instead of cleaning all the brushes as instructed in the Instruction Book, takes out the four main brushes, and in the case of the above dynamos had filed the contact surface of these brushes with the result that the dynamo was made considerably worse and they brought the cars in with the complaint. I took this matter up with Br.{T. E. Bellringer - Repair Manager} very strongly and told him that where there was definite proof of the brushes having been filed and wrongly bedded they should be made to pay for it, because, firstly it is possible to seriously damage the dynamo, and secondly it takes a full eight hours to make the dynamo right, whereas if they had brought the trouble to be attended to in the first place, two hours at the most would put the job right. I have taken up with By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} the question of making all the brushes as accessible as possible, which can be done by swinging the dynamo further round. The position of the Phantom II is considerably better in this respect than P.I. but can be improved. The majority of chauffeurs will not take the trouble to undo the holding down straps and swing the dynamo round to clean the brushes. Phantom Starter Motor. Intermittent failures. XJ-141. This starter motor was found with the commutator in a very dirty condition. The appearance was that the bijur oil supply had been in excess, the oil getting on to the commutator and mixing with the carbon dust. The rear bearing also showed signs of roughing up. | ||