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).
Failures with the Bijur lubrication system, an altered exhaust system, and an incident involving low-rated springs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5a\3\ 03-page131 | |
| Date | 27th November 1931 guessed | |
| (3) including top, had any tendency to come out, they would have done so. The other feature that we are concerned about is the noise from the gears. This seems actually to be getting worse instead of better, as is usually the case with continual running, and we believe that you will agree with us that they are not passable, when you again try the car. BIJUR LUBRICATION. We seem to be having an epidemic of failures with the bijur lubrication system. We had to hold up the car yesterday after the morning's run because the two bijur pipes, which are fastened to the steering arm, feeding the side steering tube and the cross steering tube ball ends, had broken clean in two where they are soldered into the fitting on the brake drum anchorage plate. The inaccessibility of our designs showed up very much in this case, it was necessary to dismantle entirely the O.S. front brake, take the steering arm off the pivot, before we could attempt to do anything. We had to fit two short lengths of pipe and make a sleeve to join up with the existing pipe fastened to the arm. The job altogether took us some 3 hours, and one has to be very careful in fitting the pipes back, or oil leaks will occur which run down on to the brake shoes. The pipes in question are made in brass and are of a larger diameter than the general pipe line of the bijur system. We would strongly advocate copper pipes being used for this job as there is definitely less tendency with copper pipes to harden up and crack as there is with thin brass pipes. EXHAUST SYSTEM. We note that you are going to send out to us the altered exhaust system. We have now completed 5600 miles with the present system without any sign of failure. We may be speaking too soon, but it would appear that your version of a freer exhaust with the consequent less heat is giving beneficial results, on the other hand it may be the stay fitted higher up the pipe lessening the expansion effects on the manifold. We shall however see. LOW RATING SPRINGS. We are beginning to wonder whether we like low rated springs. We certainly want progressive shock dampers and want them quickly. We have had an experience with the car which makes one think very deeply. In fact we will state two instances. To substantiate our thoughts, will you ask Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} why 24-EX skidded? This is no idle remark, and we should very much like to know whether Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} has given it any thought. We have had a similar occurrence happen with 18.G.IV. whilst Pepper was driving. The car was proceeding along a wet road at an approx. speed of 60 M.P.H. when without warning the car turned completely round, skidded sideways, turned completely round again, and having turned in the opposite direction, finally came to rest on the grass verge of the road. We are thankful to say that no damage | ||