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).
Letter to Leyland Motors discussing issues with chromium plating cylinder bores and asking for information on dry liners.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 140\3\ scan0201 | |
| Date | 18th July 1938 | |
| 1175 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/R.{Sir Henry Royce} 18th July, 1938. V.W. Pilkington, Esq., Leyland Motors Limited, Leyland, LANCS: Dear Mr. Pilkington, Many thanks for your letter of the 13th July with reference to chromium plating cylinder bores. We have from time to time discussed chromium plating with your people, but I have not myself a very clear idea of what you feel about this procedure for a production engine. We ran one block ourselves, and had a great deal of trouble in getting the rings to bed in and the oil consumption to come down to a reasonable figure. On our single cylinder work we also got a certain amount of inconsistency about the chromium plating. If the plating is not altogether sound the result would appear to be disastrous. We do not want to start up a lot of experiments on chromium plating unless, in your opinion, you consider that it is a production proposition. Personally, I am rather more interested in dry liners in Phosphor Chrome, or some other material which has been proved to have good wearing characteristics. If you have available the necessary information, I should be very interested to know - (1) The percentage increase in cost when dry liners are fitted over the ordinary kind of block. (2) Reduction in cylinder bore wear which might be expected from fitting such a liner compared with an ordinary cast iron suitable for a monobloc casting. | ||