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bobnoffs

Well Known Member
about to do an annual and an wondering what others are doing/using to lubricate piano hinges.
also, would you use a thicker oil, grease to lube a 3/16'' pin in a ''bearing'' type hole?
thanks for any info.
 
Lube

I clean mine with a scotch-brite then rub them with a Boelube stick. Has worked well for many years.
 
What I use

I have been using a product called "Door Ease" that is a push stick of Wax like lubricant...it is perfect, and doesnt get runny, or attract dirt. After pin removal I wipe them down, then just drag them accross the stick before re-install. The install easier than with any other lube I have tried and stay very clean. I got this stick at the hardware store 20 years ago, so Im not sure if it still by the same name.
 
liquid teflon

shake bottle. hold pin from one end vertical. let it flow down and spread it with you finger down and around the pin. it's a very light application.
 
Joe Blank said:
Tri-Flow... But I'm guessing almost any lubricant would work well...:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I've used Tri-Flow as well but prefer a rattle can spray I purchased at Lowes called "Super Slick Stuff". I use it on all my attach points.
It even says "for aviation use", although the price is very reaonable.:rolleyes:
 
Wipe off hinge pins with a towel with a little bit of LPS-3. Except for the flap and trim tab, the piano hinges have no relative motion on them so only need lub to install and extract. Therefore they need nothing too exotic.
 
Whatever you use to lube piano hinges, use something. the steel pin in the aluminum hinges will lead to corrosion which will lock up the hinge. Of course this would most likely only happen if the plane were really neglected and not flying.
At the museum where we do some corrosion control and repair most of the piano hinges on the outside planes are pretty badly corroded and frozen in place.
I use LP3 at every condition inspection.
 
Silicone spray.

Hint: Don't hose down the entire aluminum hinge strips with it and you'll not have to worry about any paint issues. Just simply clean off the steel pins and spray the pins only with dry silicone spray (not the oily residue-leaving type like Liquid Wrench brand) and let the spray dry before inserting them. Avoid getting any oil or grease on the aluminum strips and they won't accumulate dirt and grime. About every other time I have my cowls off, I'll wash the piano strips down with soap and water to remove any dirt or oil accumulation. Keeping piano hinges clean is the key to their smoothest operation.
 
thanks for the replys. i need to lubricate hinges that are in place and the pins are not very removeable. i think i will get one of the products mentioned and load a syringe. with the tail low and the elevator in up position i can put a line of oil on the hinge with a needle and the attitude of the plane will keep the lube on the hinge until i wipe off the excess.
 
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