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).
Unreliability of French lubricating oils and the proposal to standardize on Wakefield's Castrol and Vacuum oils.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 32\4\ Scan096 | |
| Date | 10th October 1921 | |
| RE. LUBRICATING OILS. E.M. for EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} Ps8/JP10.10.21. Reference your EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}7/H7.10.21, in reply the first part of your reply practically sums up the situation. Standard French oils are unreliable and poor in quality and moreover the density varies for a given temperature. We have no trouble to get French Manufacturers to produce a blend of oil to suit us, but as soon as we have made satisfactory tests and give them a repeat order, the oil is inferior in quality to that given as a sample. It is our opinion that we cannot yet recommend a French oil made owing to that defect. Since the War we have obtained fairly good results from a Firm named "Meurice" who produce the oil we want, and this we stock in Paris and Nice, but apart from these two places it cannot be found in France. So this is no good to recommend. "ANDRE Fils" practically owned by our customer Mr. Nobel, will produce anything we ask for, but here again it will only be obtained direct from the Co., or ourselves. From numerous requests we find it is necessary to standardise a certain well-known make, and it seems to boil down to this. To stock and recommend Wakefields' Castrol Oil for Engine and Gear Box, and to add, that if this oil cannot be obtained, "VACUUM". Being forced to agree to this it remains for you to enlighten us on the following and to finally instruct us:- 1. Can we use the combination as above and openly recommend same in our Instruction Books? 2. The grades of oil; "Castrol" for motor, for Gear box and axle. 3. The grades of "Vacuum" for engine and gear box. 4. Having agreed on a certain blend practical for France, we will see that it is stocked at Nice, Paris, and inform Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, you can do the necessary to other depots, as they must be in the same boat regarding Prices Oil. | ||