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).
Summary of a discussion on distributor failures, timing gear rattles, and engine periods on the Wraith model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 108\2\ scan0037 | |
| Date | 1st February 1938 | |
| 600 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wym.{G. Harold Whyman - Experimental Manager} c. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Swdl.{Len H. Swindell} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}9/R.1.2.38. Distributor Failures, Timing Gear Rattles & Engine Periods on the Wraith. The following is a summary of the discussion which took place on this subject:- (1) It was decided to run 28.G.VI on the drums @ 4,500 R.P.M. being motored over, and see whether we could reproduce distributor failures. At the same time an endeavour will be made to measure what is happening to the distributor drive, and also to try the effect of removing dynamos, slipper wheels, etc. etc. (2) The slipper wheel being schemed out having the flywheel isolated and the fan belt coupled to the crank pinion - Drg. No. E.C.D.336 - will be tried by Wym.{G. Harold Whyman - Experimental Manager} on 29.G.VI as soon as possible. Subsequently, Swdl.{Len H. Swindell} will run the scheme on the Test Bed if it shows any promise on the road. (3) Wym.{G. Harold Whyman - Experimental Manager} will run a Wraith with 3 lbs damping only on the slipper wheel. (4) A flexible coupling, which will be ready to-morrow, will be tried immediately on a car on the road to see what effect it has on the 48 m.p.h. period. (5) Wym.{G. Harold Whyman - Experimental Manager} will try the effect of removing the dynamo on the road. (6) A flexible flywheel is being manufactured to try and eliminate the 73 m.p.h. period, which will be tried on the road as soon as completed. (7) If any difficulty is experienced in breaking the distributor, or the distributor driving pin on the drums, an aluminium pin should be substituted, and if this breaks easily, a cast iron pin, etc., so that some value will be obtained for the vibration which reaches the distributor before the new spring drive which has been designed is fitted. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||