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).
Report analysing the design and production costs of engine components like the crankcase, starter motor, and water pump.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 127\1\ scan0251 | |
| Date | 20th November 1935 | |
| -9- interior of the engine. Externally it is not displeasing, its plain almost girder like crankcase being free from scrolls, bosses or platforms. The absence of these features must inevitably reduce the cost of production. The bottom-half appears to be a sheet pressing held on to the top half crankcase by set screws. The lower half of the clutch casing also appears to be a pressing, and is fastened both to the top portion of the clutch case and the end face of the lower half by screws. It is noted that the long tappet doors are designed in such a way that their shape may tend to lead the oil back to where it is most required and so minimise the fault of leaking at joints, a trouble that our Test Dept. often speak about. STARTER MOTOR. This is fixed in a most accessible position on the near side of the engine, and unlike our own which is situated at the lower part of the Engine and Gear Box unit, being amongst the sideengine guards and most difficult to get at. The position of our starter motor has always given the works trouble in the matter of fitting guards, getting clearances for silencers etc, this causing higher costs. Its removal to a position similar to that of the Packard would be advantageous. The Packard motor itself is fixed to a part of the crankcase in the simplest manner, and the difference between it and our own product in the matter of construction is obvious. WATER PUMP. The water pump appears to have the fan unit combined with it and may be a good feature from a production point of view. Certainly it should be helpful to us in quietening engine gears. The fan belt, as we term it, not only drives the fan, but the pump as well, passing also over the dynamo pulley thereby cutting out the necessity of separate gears for two units. The elimination of two gears from our train of gears would go far to lower costs and reduce our troubles on noisy gears. | ||