Rolls-Royce Archives
         « Prev  Box Series  Next »        

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).
Ongoing car performance issues, carburetter trials, and an investigation into a persistent water loss problem.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 31\4\  Scan027
Date  27th March 1922 guessed
  
Contd:-

-2-

I have since seen him re. this car and he now agrees to the car being sent again for further trial fitted with such carburetter as R.{Sir Henry Royce} approves of.

In trying this car, we were certainly disappointed with the power and TMW. has made alterations to the valve timing which has made an improvement. We have also supplied and fitted latest type pistons as the existing ones were rather badly scored and in some cases seized in the engine. We feel now, however, that the performance is as good as ever it has been. We tested the car up Pilstern Hill this morning in somewhat favourable atmospheric conditions - (dry roads and cold atmosphere with rising barometer) and went up on top gear with two up, lowest speed 15 M.P.H. R.R. carburetter fitted - this is more than we have ever done before. We now feel that the next move is to try on this car the best prepared S.U. carburetter off the Test Bed but unless we are able to obtain a definite improvement in performance, we propose to send the car for further trial by our own people with the standard R-R Carb. as fixed up at present. We are also arranging to fix wire wheels and modernized brake drums and brakes.

In view of your telegram and our own experience, TMW is now again diving into the R.R. Carburetter troubles, hence our anxiety to hear from you any information you can convey to us about this matter.

A trouble which we feel requires our urgent attention, is the loss of water that takes place from the engine water system under normal running conditions. It has rather surprised us to find out the necessity there is for continually replenishing the water system; and in delivering 6-Goshawk-ll chassis to London this week-end, in which fortunately a Thermometer was fitted, it was noted that after the car had been run for about 2 hours, real hard running, the temp-n it was about 70 to 80°C, when the water suddenly reached to 100°C. On investigating for this trouble, it was found that 2 gallons of water was required to replenish, and that at the end of the journey a similar loss had taken place.

When fixing the new pistons and cylinder to 3-Goshawk-ll the cylinder head was also replaced as this was cracked similar to 4-Goshawk-ll although the engine had never failed because of this; and it is a fact that 3-Goshawk-ll and 4-Goshawk-ll are the only cars which have been run without a Thermometer fitted, and we feel that the trouble of over-heating or cracking heads may have been caused by loss of water.

In inspecting the actual condition of the water level in the radiator under normal running conditions, we find that even at 70°C with the engine running - roughly above 1000 R.P.M., that the water reaches the level of the over-flow and this condition is obtained even although the original water level

contd:-
  
  


Copyright Sustain 2025, All Rights Reserved.    whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙