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).
Procedure to repair a rattling Bentley rear silencer caused by poor welding.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 104\3\ scan0190 | |
| Date | 7th October 1938 | |
| To: W/P - V.Allen...from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} Bentley Rear Silencer - Chassis B.35.KU. I have been requested to write you again with regard to dealing with rear silencer rattles. It is wrong to state that it is a question of design. The fault lies in poor welding when manufactured. The clips EB.878/9 which support the detuning tubes are spot welded to the shell, and these spot welded points have broken away when a rattle is heard. It is not necessary to open up the silencer. I have previously explained to you the method of dealing with this complaint. The following method is adopted at Kingsbury and is the only sure method of curing it. The complete exhaust system from the manifold is removed from the chassis. Upon looking at the rear silencer one can observe 4 spots which are welded. There are two on the upper side and two underneath. To make sure that a repetition complaint will not occur, all these positions are rewelded. To do this you burn a hole where the welding shews. This reveals the clip which may have dropped from the shell by as much as 1/8" and you then start and weld on to the clip building it up until you reach the shell, then continue and weld up the hole you have burnt in. This makes a completed welded job of the clip to the shell. This operation is nothing to a man who knows his job. The other positions are treated in the same manner. When completed you have four welded positions on the silencer approximately the size of a franc piece. The whole operation of welding does not occupy more than 1 hour. Kingsbury have dealt with dozens and not one has been in for a recurrent complaint. GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} | ||