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).
9,000-mile car investigation, detailing issues with the one-shot lubrication system and proposing revised maintenance intervals.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5a\2\ 02-page137 | |
| Date | 29th June 1929 | |
| TESTED W8540d To Hg. From G.W.H. Hôtel de France, Châteauroux, Indre. 29/6/29. We have now finished the 9,000 miles and are proceeding to investigate the car generally. Re the one-shot lubrication, we fitted to the front and rear shock dampers supplying oil to the connecting links drip plugs 31 giving 15 to 20 drops per stroke of the pump. On all the cars out here, we have altered these drip plugs and stipulated a larger supply of oil. Why therefore should we continue to fit plugs which only give a maximum amount of 5 drops per stroke of the pump. It is entirely inadequate to feed the top ball end, the excess then having to run inside the tube and feed the bottom ball end. We cannot understand the policy of being mean with lubricating oil to such places that are continually under load and have a tremendous amount of work to do. In our report, we distinctly said there was no leak on the pipe lines and that the drip plugs mentioned were not passing more than 2 to 3 drops per stroke of the pump. In Mr. Gaye's letter of the 26th. June, he gives his views that there must be an oil leak if these plugs are not giving more than what we said. His letter of the 27th. states that an adaptor for the Bijur oil pump has been dispatched. The car will have left here long before this adaptor reaches Châteauroux. With regard to the recommendations of oiling the various units by hand, we do not agree that the clutch trunnion and ball race should only be oiled once every 5000 miles, they should be oiled once every 500 miles. The propellor shaft sliding joint should be oiled once every 1000 miles, and not as it is proposed once every 5000 miles. We have lubricated I7-J-IV on these lines:- Front axle every 500 miles. Rear axle every 1000 miles. Clutch trunnion and ball race every 500 miles. Mechanics joints examined at 5000 miles. Propellor shaft sliding joint every 1000 miles. Water pump every 1000 miles. Other units approx. every 1000 miles. We have not carried out any further temperature tests as the climatic conditions have cooled right down. We are having to take out a fresh licence for the car for its journey to Grenoble. The car will be leaving here Tuesday morning. G.W.Hancock | ||