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).
To I.M. Waller regarding the failure of a Petrol Pump on car 22-G-V.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 101\2\ scan0093 | |
| Date | 4th September 1936 | |
| 8500c To I.M. Waller, Hotel de France, Chateauroux, Indre, France. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/JBD.{John B. Dixon - Fuel Systems}14/JH.4.9.36. I thank you for your memo. regarding the failure of the Petrol Pump on 22-G-V.{VIENNA} The failure in the first place appears to be due to shrinkage of the diaphragms owing to the material becoming dehydrated. When they are new they are made convex to allow for shrinkage and this allowance does not seem sufficient and we are going into the matter. The only other possible cause for the symptoms you give would be a temporary blockage in the pipe line and filter. The subsequent failure when the pump ran but ceased to deliver any petrol or vapour, is due to buzzing of the diaphragm and would be more prone to take place if the diaphragm had shrunk leaving a flat face lacking rigidity. This becomes noticeable when the pump is hot as the diaphragm material becomes softer. I should be interested to have the U.B. air temperature where the failure occurred. I presume the pump is now working as the weather is cooler but will send you out new diaphragms if you require them and would like you to preserve the old ones for me. Do you know the setting of the pump. The S.U. people tell me that a shortened stroke is apt to cause the buzzing you complain of and this may have been done to quieten the pump at some time. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/J.B.Dixon. | ||