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).
Goshawk radiator shutters, discussing hand-controlled versus thermostat-controlled systems and associated issues.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 77\4\ scan0295 | |
| Date | 21th November 1922 | |
| R.R. 199 (250T) (SD676 19-7-17) MP180865 BJ. from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to PN.{Mr Northey} Y4240 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG21.11.22. GOSHAWK RADIATOR SHUTTERS. There are 500 radiators instructed up for use with hand control shutters. We agree that if one attempts to try to keep the temperature at a certain point, it is necessary to be constantly adjusting the shutters. We should expect, however, very little difference in the running of the car between 60 and 90°C., especially after the whole mass of the engine has become thoroughly warmed up. We appreciate your point as regards the risk of customers running with the water boiling. We have done this ourselves when running in the dark. If the car is run constantly boiling until most of the water is boiled away, we should anticipate cracked cylinder head, possibly burnt valves or seized engine. So far we have not yet produced a radiator with a thermostat control. The tube for the thermostat had to be purchased from America and it was intended that we should fill it with the necessary liquid after it was built up. So far we have not been successful in doing this and we have recently sent sets of complete fittings to America so that they can be built up by the same Firm who have produced all the thermostats for the 40/50. It would not be possible to apply the design at present got out for thermostat operated shutters, to existing cars. It might be possible however to get out a further design for operating shutters by a thermostat and fit to existing cars. We are not all certain that even thermostat operated shutters are going to be successful. Springfield fitted them for some time and then abandoned them. They have also been abandoned by other makers. We feel that there is a tendency, because of the fact that we are fitting the shutters and the thermometer, to try and work to too fine limits on the water temperature. Shutters were not fitted to any of the cars which ran 10,000 mile tests and were not fitted to any experimental cars until a few weeks ago - those cars had to work with wide differences of temperature. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||