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).
Letter from ALTA Car & Engineering Co. Ltd. enquiring about the suitability of AC9 bearing material for their racing engines.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 116\3\ scan0017 | |
| Date | 5th September 1938 | |
| TELEPHONE - ELMBRIDGE 3157 TELEGRAMS - ELMBRIDGE 3157. ALTA CAR & ENGINEERING CO. LTD. Directors — G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} TAYLOR. L. TAYLOR. Your Ref Our Ref GT.LV. September 5th, 1938. FULLER'S WAY, KINGSTON BYE-PASS, SURBITON. Messrs. Rolls Royce Ltd., Technical Dept., Derby. Dear Sirs, We have been in communication with Messrs. Wellworthy, Ltd. with reference to the use of the AC9 bearing material, originally produced by you. The information they have given us does not quite cover the field required by us, and we hope therefore you do not mind us asking you a few questions on the subject. We require this material for the big ends of ALTA racing engines and wish, in the experimental stages at any rate, to utilise our standard steel rods bored out a little to take your material which we take it will be supplied as a thin wall bearing. Our engines are fairly highly stressed although the white metal bearings we now use are almost completely reliable. The B.M.E.P. at 6000 r.p.m. is 320 lbs. per sq. in, the stroke 100 m.m. and the big end 2" diameter and 1.6" long, on a nitralloy shaft. Do you consider your material suitable for this application, and if so in the event of a failure from lubrication or any other cause does the big end seize in a way similar to R.R.56 and break the rod, or damage the crankshaft? Have you test figures for the relative load capacity as compared with white metal? We should be very glad to know of any high performance [Handwritten Initials]: RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} [STAMP]: RECEIVED SEP 7 1938 [Handwritten Notes]: Wn CTS{C. Trot Salt - Carburation} Please reply GM | ||