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).
Diagnosis of a harsh engine feeling in car 49-GB and experiments to fix it.
| Identifier | Morton\M11\ img213 | |
| Date | 17th September 1919 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from EH. c. to C. c. to BH. c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Ds. X.2565. 49GB ORIGINAL EH/LG17.9.19. 17th. Sept. 1919. RE 49-GB CAR. With reference to your telegram regarding the above car, we admit that to us 49-GB had a feeling of harshness. We thought, however, that it had improved on the run down to West WitteringHenry Royce's home town. As you will remember 49-GB used to be a remarkably smooth engine and it remained so until we overhauled the engine this last time. The work carried out on the engine was, all the bearings were refitted, and new Camshaft fitted in place of temporary one which had been running in this car. The engine, when erected, was very stiff owing to the bearings being left on the tight side. This was caused by the crankshaft having worn slightly and not being round, although not by sufficiently out-of-round to warrant being re-ground. We got the impression that stiff engines, as a rule, have this harsh feeling, although there does not appear any logical reason for this. The most likely thing we know of on the car which will definitely produce a very harsh engine is that the slipper flywheel has become very tight or partly seized. When we first ran 1.EX it had a distinctly more harsh feeling than 49-GB as it was running at that time. We carried out some experiments on the slipper wheels on 1.EX by reducing the amount of friction. At first we thought we had made considerable improvement by reducing the friction, afterwards we were not certain if we could tell much difference. 1.EX, however, is running and was running when Mr. Royce had it Contd. | ||