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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).
Expressing shock and concern over high oil consumption in the 25/30 chassis due to a piston ring design change.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 144\3\  scan0082
Date  10th July 1936
  
To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}
To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}
Copy to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}H.

Oil Consumption on 25/30 Chassis.

I attach copy of Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}2/E8.7.36 and copy of Hy{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}'s reply.
I am sorry you were not able to be present at the discussion which tookplace.

Frankly, I am shocked at what has happened. We had a perfectly satisfactory piston with an arrangement of rings on the 20/25, i.e. a RR piston with a split skirt and four pinned rings, and then because the Bentley with an aerolite piston had three unpinned rings, we sent out the 25/30 with a RR split skirt piston and three unpinned rings,

The 10,000 mile test car report showed that the early oil consumption was very bad and should have acted as a warning.

When we have something which is satisfactory, it always seems such a pity to me to alter it.

I am not clear whether this is a design alteration or experimental but I want to make it clear that the result is very damaging to our name and reputation.

I am sending you this note because I want you both to be personally au fait with the matter before I am at Derby next week and I wish to know what we are going to do to get right again.

On the face of it the thing to do would appear to be to go back to the arrangement of piston rings as on the 20/25.

I should be interested to know what type of pistons and rings are on the advance 25/30's which Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} and I have, both of which were put out with a view to seeing what the results were like in the hands of the ordinary user.

Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}

Enc. Copy of Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}2/E8.7.36 with C5/C3.7.36
Copy of Hy{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}6/T9.7.36
  
  


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