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).
Crankshaft lubrication and solutions to bearing failures on the Phantom 10,000 miles car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 14\2\ Scan152 | |
| Date | 24th June 1933 | |
| XX717? To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Rg.{Mr Rowledge} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson}7/KT.24.6.33. CRANKSHAFT LUBRICATION ON NEXT PHANTOM 10,000 MILES CAR. We are proposing to use Kelmit bearings and a hardened shaft on the Phantom about to run 10,000 miles in France. The question of the system of lubrication arises. We have just completed a considerable period of high speed running on Phantom engine unit No.25. Our two troubles have been :- (1) Big end bearing failure. (2) Centre main bearing failure. To overcome the big end bearing failure we tried the three holes in every journal bearing with the existing side groove Phantom feed. Actually with Kelmit bearings and this arrangement our big end bearing failure has entirely disappeared. We have had, however, repeated centre bearing trouble with Kelmit, and to overcome this have, at Rg{Mr Rowledge}'s suggestion, put a flat on the shaft, the object being to get an oil film right across the bearing just before the heaviest loaded portion of the shaft. Judging by results so far this has cured the trouble because the centre bearing has given us no further anxiety, and when recently stripped was the best we have so far seen. There is no doubt that on the test bed we shall have to take special precautions to keep dirt out of the system as Kelmit seems to be particularly susceptible to scoring. In view of our tests, we are proposing to instruct the three holes in the journal bearing and side grooves for the Phantom, and should like you to consider a design for a groove across the centre main bearing to reproduce the conditions we have obtained by putting a flat on the centre bearing of the crankshaft. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} | ||