ONE FOR ALL THE GUY FANS
The only experience I had of Rollers was the 265L in our B-series ERFs. These were bought due to the price and the poor availability of “decent” engines. In my experience they were as good as any for the size and class and the only reliability issue we had was with the oil pump idler in the timing case which was located by a roll pin. The pin would occasionally shear if it wasn’t fitted properly, leaving the poor old driver with zero oil pressure and 100% of the blame!
As to the Big J, at the time I could find no fault with it- I soon got used to the offset steering column and, like others, I learnt to change gear without breaking my fingers on the dashboard! We had a whole fleet of the things at our branch of BRS (sorry for the bad language, Bewick) which were sourced as replacements for the AECs which we had all loved. They were all fitted with 205 ■■■■■■■■ such vast power in the day- with six-speed AEC gearboxes which had a fantastic air-operated inertia brake. I found this feature by accident and spent the next couple of months educating the other chaps who had been complaining of “slow gear changes”. After running-in the engine (remember that?) I called at Guy Motors workshop at North Woolwich and got one of the fitters to reset the injectors, slipping him a ten-bob note to “open it up a bit”.
I never had a moment’s bother with the Guy and I was quite sad to pass it on to another driver when I got married and moved away from the area. When I returned a few years later I was allocated another Big J which I was also pleased with, although it never went as well as my original.
In my opinion Guy’s were a great firm to deal with and it was a devastating missed opportunity not to have developed the Big J into a modern lorry.
erfguy:
ONE FOR ALL THE GUY FANS
Has it had the cab floor replaced?!?! 
Richard Read had a Guy fitted with AEC motor.I rebuitl it.Tractor unit.
I never saw that one, matey. What size AEC?
The 470 Mercury engine.
That’s a surprise as well. I was expecting it to have been an 11.3.
It’s fascinating the things that crop up on Trucknet- some things you’d forgotten and others you didn’t know in the first place.
Retired Old ■■■■:
erfguy:
ONE FOR ALL THE GUY FANSHas it had the cab floor replaced?!?!
Did’ny need it she was well looked after. Eddie.
My Uncle Doug had 2 Guy big js one had a 150 gardner david brown box and trailing rear axle it was a long wheelbase dropside tipper ,the other was a AEC powered double drive short tipper,when Guy finished he was very good friends with one off the directors who were not allowed to buy the stock or vehicles so for a while my uncle was going in to the factory and buying lorry loads of parts with cash day after day,then buying whole lorries and driving them to a remote farm ready for selling on,they both did very well.
Commercial Motor’s 8th December 1972 edition had an enlightening and rather uncomplimentary road test report by Gibb Grace on a Big J 8 wheeler.
cav551:
Commercial Motor’s 8th December 1972 edition had an enlightening and rather uncomplimentary road test report by Gibb Grace on a Big J 8 wheeler.
From what I remember of the road tests in the '70’s it was dependant on the size of the advert spend by the various manufactures as to wether a particular motor got a decent write up or not,and of course,what sort of hospitality that the manufacturer plied sorry,offered, the journalist on the day “hic” “hic”.Cheers Bewick.
Trev_H:
Early RR’s had reliability issues, head gaskets were one of them but they soon got on top of the problems and became a decent engine but like a lot of designs the faults of the first types created a reputation that was hard to shake off.
With regards to the Big J, I never got on with the 220 models, yes they were really good pullers for their class but usually had a poor top speed 45-50 mph and had a terrible throttle linkage (or pump rack?) that would bounce causing kangeroo actions till you took your foot off and replanted it !
Now at Midlands BRS we had quite a few 280 Rolls models and they were real flyers, a lot quieter than the 220 and pulled as well if not better than the 290 ■■■■■■■ models. They were easily distinguishable from the ■■■■■■■ which had the exhaust stack on the R/H side, the Rolls on the L/H.
When big j production finished at Guy’s we had crusaders from there with the same 280 Roller/Fuller set up which were good machines.
Fuel consumption is one thing I don’t really recall but they were certainly no worse than the ■■■■■■■ motor.
Quite a few people on here and drivers I worked with complained about the driving position of the big j’s, I never had a problem and considering I’m no small person I quite liked driving them and was never uncomfortable, unlike the current new Daf I drive !
SUN SUMMER SOLSTICE TAROT CARD ILLUSTRATION - 21 St JUNE,THE LONGEST DAY 
:-
VALKYRIE replies:-
FAN -
It’s back on… 
GUY MOTORS.
Yes,Guy made quality lorries,buses,motorcoaches,trolleybuses and military vehicles.But I want to stand in defence of Rolls-Royce Diesel Engines,because of the negative comments on them made by a few members in this thread.
I quote from from an edited version of the post that I made in my ROLLS-ROYCE DIESEL ENGINES,LATER PERKINS
Thread,in which I objectively sum up the comments on Rolls-Royce diesel engines made in this thread:-
QUOTE:-Re: ROLLS-ROYCE DIESEL ENGINES (LATER PERKINS).
Postby VALKYRIE » Sat Jul 28, 2012 3:59 pm
Gingerfold » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:10 am
Windrush wrote:-
Bradfordlad9999 wrote:-
great engine we had the 265 li the 300tx 335 and the 375 never no trouble the 265 li was bullet proof they ran from 1985 to 1999 with out no mager problams
Windrush replied:-
It appears that some companies had a trouble free experience with them, as we did, and others suffered problems which I guess can be said about every make of lorry and every make and type of engine. One operator will praise them and the next will tell a different tale, just down to the luck of the draw I suppose? Funny old world aint it!
Pete.
Gingerfold replied:-
An excellent point made. There was always a rogue engine / lorry from every manufacturer. Plus factor in differing driving styles, driver abuse or non-abuse, servicing schedules, frequency of oil and filter changes etc. etc. I can recall some drivers who would start an engine from cold and keep their foot flat to the board as soon as it fired revving at maximum. Others would let a cold engine fire and immediately it did so ease right back on the accelerator. Which engine would be in better condition after 250,000 miles? I’ve driven identical lorries of the same age in the same fleet and they have performed completely differently.
VALKYRIE writes:-
ROLLS-ROYCE DIESEL ENGINES (LATER PERKINS).
YOU CANNOT PLEASE ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME - But You Can Please The Majority Of People!
The above famous and wise statement,plus my equally wise add-on statement-slogan,and the wise comments of Windrush -Pete,and Gingerfold,obviously applies to Rolls-Royce Automotive Diesel Engines.
And thanks to all the Lorry Enthusiasts who responded to this thread,and of these people six were negative,about four were neutral and the remaining sixteen were POSITIVE about Rolls-Royce Diesel Engines! And the above statements and comments also apply to Rolls-Royce Motorcars!
Of the two people who commentated on Rolls-Royce Motorcars,they were both in the negative.
I do admit that some motoring writers have suggested that Mercedes-Benz now make the best qualty motorcars in the world (and I’m a Mercedes-Benz admirer - and a Rolls-Royce one).But there are other contenders such as Maybach (a Mercedes-Benz owned marque) and Bentley…plus Lexus,
Lincoln and Cadillac.
Nevertheless,nobody can escape Rolls-Royce’s immortal and legendary slogan:“Rolls-Royce,The Best Motorcar In The World”,and I’m sure that the Rolls-Royce Motorcar Division of Rolls-Royce,and now BMW,have always strived to ensure that the above slogan is objectively true.Rolls-Royce have been
making motorcars since 1904,and they are bound to have had a few problems since that time,but the vast majority of customers of Rolls-Royce Motorcars,including this long list of famous owners:-
rolls-royce.150m.com/famous_ … dexen.html
,are satisfied with their Rolls-Royce Motorcars.
Oh,by the way,South Yorkshire Transport,later Mainline,and now First Bus,operated a large fleet of Rolls-Royce Eagle 220 Diesel-engined Dennis Dominator Double Decker Buses from the early 1980s to around 2006 or so.And many of these operated in the tough hilly terrains of Sheffield (it’s especially hilly in Sheffield) and Rotherham and certain other hilly districts.This is why South Yorkshire specified the Rolls-Royce engine,while most or all other operators of the Dennis Dominator had the underpowered Gardner 6LXB 180 engine option.These Rolls-Royce-engined Dennis Dominators were quite successful and reliable - so that is the seventeenth positive comment! 
UNQUOTE.
The majority of comments came out in favour of Rolls-Royce commercial vehicle diesel engines…but it’s no
surprise,since Rolls-Royce - later Perkins - made objectively good and great performing diesel engines for lorries,buses,motorcoaches,heavy haulage haulage road locomotives,military vehicles,electricity generator sets,etc -AND THE BRITISH MILITARY K N E W I T TOO! That is why they operated many Rolls-Royce diesel-engine military vehicles As I’ve said before elsewhere on TRUCKNETUK:The British military will not buy any old rubbish,because they demand maximum performance,maximum safety,maximum engineering standards,and so on from their motor vehicles
All - or at least most - operators of lorries,buses,motorcoaches,etc would have been very pleased and proud to
have had the most prestigious name in British engineering - ROLLS-ROYCE - in their motor vehicle fleets! :-
ROLLS-ROYCE - RR Rolls-Royce Trademark motorcar radiator badge:-
ROLLS-ROYCE EAGLE POST.Rolls-Royce Eagle Diesel Engines sales brochure-advertisement,1976:-
ATKINSON BORDERER T3446RR,Mk2 Panoramic Sleeper-cabbed,Rolls-Royce Eagle Diesel-engined,4x2 Stepframe Drive On-bodied Artic Lorry,Chassis No.FC.27809,KBU 375P,FAY-ANN.Loaded with a Guy Big J8 Lorry:-
ROLLS-ROYCE.ATKINSON BORDERER T3446RR,Mk2 Panoramic Sleeper-cabbed,Rolls-Royce Eagle Diesel-engined,4x2 Tractive Unit,Chassis No.FC.27809,KBU 375P,FAY-ANN.Very nice display of badges,including Rolls-Royce,on the radiator grille :-
VALKYRIE.
Morning Gentlemen, well I should be making hay, but the meadows are damp and still, what has happened to our climate this year? Its our hay festival this week end, …and only a pathetic bit made as yet.
Dan Punchards post confirms a long held rumour in Wolverhampton, that after Michael Edwards had personally closed down Fallings Park, (and sat in on many of the redundancy meetings), that the actual disposal of parts and stock was handled in the most “free and easy” manner!..Including three of the Guy manufactured fibreglass swimming pools!!!
Several posts have confirmed the positive attitude and helpfull manner of the Guy employees. Sydney Guy was a hard taskmaster, but had a reputation for fairness, Guy had a “works council” as early as 1926, and enjoyed good industrial relations throughout its history. Never the best paying jobs in the West Midlands motor industry, yet a great camerarderie, and pride in the product.
Thinking back, Guys relationship with Rubery Owens Motor Panels company did not start with the Big J, but with the BRS specified Otter tractor unit of the 1950s. But of course, the relationship was much older, the Owen, of Rubery Owen, was one of Sydney Guys backers when he left Wolverhampton`s Sunbeam to set up Guy!
I must away…the sun is trying to come out…there is work to do…
Cheerio for now.
Just to pick up on Valkyrie’s excellent post. The early RR 220 Eagles were problematic in terms of reliability and heavy fuel consumption. No question about that. Operators’ feed back and experience etc. They had no connection with the legendary RR petrol car engines and military engines. The RR diesel engines for normal ‘commercial’ vehicles were built in the former Sentinel works at Shrewsbury which RR had acquired on the demise of Sentinel. Of course Sentinel was a legendary builder of steam waggons and designed the most advanced steamers of that era. Their move into diesel propulsion gave them limited sales but their diesel lorries were robust and reliable and the Sentinel diesel engine was favourably compared with the attributes of a Gardner. Relatively small sales figures caused the demise of the Sentinel marque. After RR had acquired the Sentinel factory they intoroduced the Eagle lorry engine. Former AEC engine guru Keith Roberts was recruited to sort them out, which he did and the later RR265, 290 and 305 were much better. This gave the component truck assemblers i.e. ERF, Atkinson, Foden, Seddon (and Seddon Atkinson), and later Leyland build options to Gardner and ■■■■■■■■ Perkins had never produced a ‘heavy’ lorry engine (until its V8) and its market was the cheap and cheerful light and medium weight market, plus tractors, small commercials etc. After an excellent start with its Panther,P4 / P6 ranges in the 1930s Perkins had troubles with its R6 and the 6.354 was an improvement but my own experience of the 6.354 was that they were a nightmare and a ‘throw away’ engine good for 100,000 miles if you were lucky. Perkins needed a reliable heavy truck engine so bought RR and then Gardner, but the latter acquisition was to get a competitor out of the market.
if i remember rightly,a Guy Big J won an early series of Truck racing,although i don’t think it actuall won a race.Mason Bros.?
carryfast-yeti:
if i remember rightly,a Guy Big J won an early series of Truck racing,although i don’t think it actuall won a race.Mason Bros.?
must have been 240 Percy powered !
David 
gingerfold:
Bewick:
ramone:
Bewick:
The Big J was a great general fleet motor,and IIRC when it was fitted with a RR220 Eagle engine it became,along with the Seddon 32/4 with the same engine,the cheapest 32 ton fleet motor on the market in the later 60’s,early 70’s.The same criteria applied at Atkinson and ERF,their cheapest fleet motors for the large Oil co’s and big Supermarkets were their chassis fitted with the RR 220.Unfortunately it was only the likes of the Oil co’s,Supermarkets and BRS/NFC that could afford to run these (IMHO) obnoxious lumps of rubbish,but of course,the initial cost price suited the accountants at the various conglomerates,the actual costs of running said crap was not as important as it could be spread over a number of years within the accounts,but the lowest capital cost per unit at the outset was the main consideration.Cheers Bewick.Why is that Dennis were they bad on fuel ,unreliable or both ?
Hiya “ramone”,the RR engine as far as tractor units were concerned (Automotive engines) IMHO were just noisy obnoxious lumps of uneconomical rubbish,if they’d been any good you would have seen them, appearing in quantity,in all the major haulage fleets of the era,did you,No ! Yes you always saw the odd one appear in the various hauliers fleets up and down the country but in the main it was only because there was a “financial one off inducement” or the particular haulier was so desperate at the time for a unit that there was no alternative to the RR engined chassis.Thankfully I was never placed in such an invidious postition otherwise I might have had to “top” myself( who’s cheering
).Ssssshudderrrr and perish the thought.Cheers Dennis.
Exactly what I was trying to tell your friend Carryfast on the ERGO thread when he was mistakingly praising RR diesel automotive engines, but as usual he wasn’t listening to those of us in the know.
My own experience of Rolls engines in trucks was in the early 1980’s Foden gritters v the ■■■■■■■ in the old Atkis.From memory I think they were 265’s and could pull a house down at around 24 t gross and would have happily pulled a drawbar on top of that.So it’s no surprise that Leyland chose the things in 300 hp + form to improve the performance of the T45 and I think Leyland managed to shift more than just a few ‘one offs’ of those and Leyland’s balance sheet would obviously have been a lot worse when it eventually closed down without the help of Rolls engines over the years.
Yes, by the early 1980’s the RR diesel engines were much better.