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).
The condition of brake shafts, shock absorbers, road springs, clutch, and gearbox.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 4\9\ 09-page034 | |
| Date | 21th June 1928 guessed | |
| - 5 - Brake operating shafts & bearings on front axle. These are still in good condition & working satisfactorily. Front shock absorbers. Connecting links developed slight slack at ball ends. These have been adjusted. Shock absorbers have kept fairly normal, i.e. 20 lbs. Front road springs (Firths) F.{Mr Friese} 53332 - 600 lbs. These have now run 2,957 miles. Examined, but not dismantled. When they appeared to be quite sound, R.S. spring, as reported, continually hits buffer. Spring clip nuts tightened up half a turn, after second day's run, we find that after fitting new springs, the spring clips require retightening, after the car has had a good run - after which they remain tight. Clutch. This has functioned perfectly since our last report. Gearbox. Since our last report, we have found that the oil leak reported to be coming from front of gearbox cover, inside clutch case, is not the case. The leak in question is from behind the flywheel, & this flings the oil all over inside the case. We have reported our investigations re this. There is a quantity of oil lost from drain of speedometer drive. This drive is getting over-oiled. We have investigated this, & are of the opinion that the collector inside the gearbox could be made narrower, but we would strongly recommend that the design of the change speed tower, which is bolted to gearbox, be so altered to allow the drain hole from speedometer drive to be led into this, and so drain back into the gearbox by way of the tower, instead of the present design. We have tried making the conduit hole smaller, i.e. 0.0937" in dia. approximately, but this is not sufficient. Also, on our investigations prove, we would not recommend this, due to the following. The oil supply is got from oil being flung off gear wheel W.51552 of the third motion shaft. In the first place, at no time is there a continual stream of oil from this. It comes irregular. When first & second gears are being used, there is no oil coming from this wheel, so that whilst these gears are being used, the speedometer drive received no further supply of oil. When third gear is engaged, the oil stream unfortunately hits the change speed striking lever, & very little oil gets to the collector, which is behind this. When direct gear is used, the oil collector receives plenty of oil. We would also recommend that the present hole in gearbox from tower be moved approximately one inch back, to be more clear of oil streams, & allow oil to drain more easily. With the present hot weather, the oil becomes very thin, and most of the joints on gearbox show slight oil leaks. We have not had any trouble with gears coming out since our last report. | ||