Cleaning and lubricating hinges

TylerSC

TylerSC

Pre-takeoff checklist
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TylerSC
I am the proud new owner of a 1965 Cherokee 140. The control surface hinges and the little ball joints on the flaps etc. are all very gunky. What is the best way to clean these up?
 
I usually just clean them up when I wash the plane and then lubricate with LPS-2 afterwards.
 
LPS-2 is great any oil or lube is better than none or dry. If it is stored outside or you wash it lube it no lube dry is bad. You can clean the gunk off with lots of spray can cleaner that does a great job, lube it after you clean it.
 
I have never seen the benefit of the LPS brand, at least when it comes to basic lubrication.

I just use store/off brand silicone lubricant or spray white lithium grease for most lubrication needs, whether it's on a plane, bicycle, motorcycle, car, mower, ATV, whatever. Planes just don't seem fundamentally unique enough in their construction so as to require a dedicated lubricant brand for basic stuff.

Not much aviation-specific lives here, beyond the Corrosion-X and the B.A.A.M:

17135507796_c660488da5_c.jpg


But whatever works for you!
 
FastEddieB said:
I have never seen the benefit of the LPS brand, at least when it comes to basic lubrication.
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Probably true. I bought two cans each of LPS 1, 2, & 3 at least ten years ago. About $10/can IIRC. I still haven't used up that initial supply, so it's not like buying $100 aviation specific cleaning products when the $10 auto version works just as well or better. That's where the big sucker money is spent!
 
The wrong lube can cause trouble.

LPS dries out.

Oil on piano hinges invites dust, which gets in there and the hinges eat themselves.

Cessna specifies Royco 363 (actually, a MIL-spec oil, and the 363 meets it) and it doesn't dry out nearly so fast as the LPS. They also specify dry graphite for piano hinges (ailerons), which is hard to get in there. I mix a bit with brake cleaner in a syringe and drip it on the hinge seams; it wicks in and the brake cleaner dries and leaves the graphite where it needs to be.

People LPS flap rollers, and it dries and eventually gums and seizes the rollers and they scuff up the tracks. Big job to rectify that. The gunk also attracts dust, causing abrasion and further stiffening the gunk. There's a tiny bit of grease in a flap roller, and a drop of Royco will wick in there and rejuvenate it without creating the mess and wear. Same with cable pulleys.
 
That's what routine maintenance is all about. Clean out the old and reapply. Every lubricant and corrosion inhibitor I've seen attracts dust. That's why Boeing has in their control cable lubrication procedure to not lubricate corrosion resistant steel cables and even mentions excessive wear due to attracted dust.
 
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Dan Thomas said:
The wrong lube can cause trouble.

LPS dries out.

Oil on piano hinges invites dust, which gets in there and the hinges eat themselves.

Cessna specifies Royco 363 (actually, a MIL-spec oil, and the 363 meets it) and it doesn't dry out nearly so fast as the LPS. They also specify dry graphite for piano hinges (ailerons), which is hard to get in there. I mix a bit with brake cleaner in a syringe and drip it on the hinge seams; it wicks in and the brake cleaner dries and leaves the graphite where it needs to be.

People LPS flap rollers, and it dries and eventually gums and seizes the rollers and they scuff up the tracks. Big job to rectify that. The gunk also attracts dust, causing abrasion and further stiffening the gunk. There's a tiny bit of grease in a flap roller, and a drop of Royco will wick in there and rejuvenate it without creating the mess and wear. Same with cable pulleys.
Click to expand...

I hate vague "LPS" comments.

LPS-1 Greaseless lubricant that penetrates quickly, displaces moisture, and will not attract dust or dirt.
  • Provides a dry, thin, lubricating film
  • Resists oil, dust, and dirt build-up
  • Ideal for delicate mechanisms
LPS-2 Heavy-Duty Lubricant - The strong, oily film multi-purpose lubricant, and penetrant with added corrosion protection.
  • Strong, multi-purpose lubricant, and penetrant
  • Provides a non-drying, light, oily film for use on indoor/outdoor equipment
  • Reduces wear caused by friction and corrosion
  • Loosens rusted or frozen parts
  • Strong, multi-purpose lubricant and penetrant with added corrosion protection
LPS-3 Rust Inhibitor - The long-term, waxy film, premier rust inhibitor; protects even in the harshest environment.
  • Safe on all metals
  • Safe to use on rubber, fabric, plastics, and paints
  • Self-healing, soft, waxy film
  • Provides non-sling lubrication
  • Prevents rust and corrosion
Besides these 3 products that everyone has heard of, LPS has many others.
http://www.lpslabs.com/index
 
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Dan Thomas said:
People LPS flap rollers, and it dries and eventually gums and seizes the rollers and they scuff up the tracks. Big job to rectify that. The gunk also attracts dust, causing abrasion and further stiffening the gunk.
Click to expand...

Ensuring that the flap rollers are actually rolling is a part of every preflight inspection. And my tracks are less than 25% worn after 58 years.

And some people actually keep their toys clean so dust and grime can't grind up moving parts. ;)
 
GlennAB1 said:
I hate vague "LPS" comments.

LPS-1 Greaseless lubricant that penetrates quickly, displaces moisture, and will not attract dust or dirt.
  • Provides a dry, thin, lubricating film
  • Resists oil, dust, and dirt build-up
  • Ideal for delicate mechanisms
LPS-2 Heavy-Duty Lubricant - The strong, oily film multi-purpose lubricant, and penetrant with added corrosion protection.
  • Strong, multi-purpose lubricant, and penetrant
  • Provides a non-drying, light, oily film for use on indoor/outdoor equipment
  • Reduces wear caused by friction and corrosion
  • Loosens rusted or frozen parts
  • Strong, multi-purpose lubricant and penetrant with added corrosion protection
Click to expand...

So what is the dry lubricant in LPS-1? Some of this stuff has no real details. The MSDS indicates that it's almost all petroleum distillates (solvents), and a bit of sorbitan trioleate (a surfactant) and calcium sulfonate (a thickener). Not a lot of lubrication there. LPS-2 is 70-80% distillates and 10-20% oil.

I used to look after a fleet of flight school airplanes. As many as 8 of them. I used LPS-2 and had it dry out and gum things up, so I looked up what Cessna specified, ordered some, and never looked back. That was ten or 12 years ago. Used it for another five or six years in the school, then at a big place that operated big fire bombers (they ordered it in 45 gallon drums, and used it in the propeller regulators), and now at the shop where I work.

LPS has no MIL spec. Royco 363 does, which tells me that there's been some serious research and assessment of it.
 
LPS-2 -Right on the can: Meets Specifications MIL-C 813009D type III and MIL-C 16173D grade 3. LPS-3 -Right on the can: Specifications - Boeing BMS 3-23G Type II Class I Grade A - DMS 1250 - Airbus TN A.007.10138, Type I, Grade 2 - Conforms to Mil-PRF-16173E Grade 2
 
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Found Online:
LPS-1
SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVALS
Approved/Qualified to:



Allied Signal ES-2092
  1. Boeing B-737-500 Task 75-31-02-206-001-C00
  2. Bombardier (Canadair) BAMS 569-001
  3. Delta Airlines
  4. Lockheed Martin EPSN G34.031
  5. Pratt & Whitney Canada CPMC 79255 Rev. C
  6. Rolls Royce Overhaul Process 340
  7. Nonfood Compounds Program Listed Category Code: H2 Registration #059847 (Aerosol); #129040 (Bulk)
  8. Acceptable for use in Canadian Food Processing Establishments
  9. MIL-C-23411A
  10. NSN 7930-01-380-9028 (11 wt. oz.)
  11. NSN 9150-01-039-4745 (11 wt. oz.)
  12. NSN 9150-01-142-9773 (5 gal.)



S
 
LPS-2




Approved/Qualified to:

    • Boise Cascade
    • Canadian Food Inspection Agency
    • Chrysler Corporation
    • City Public Service
    • Cummins Engine
    • Dresser Rand
    • Ford Motor Co.
    • Halliburton
    • Honda Corp.
    • Inland Steel
    • Kimberly-Clark
    • Koch Refining Group
    • Kodak
    • Lockheed Martin CPC 2c & 3b lubricating
    • Lockheed Martin EPSN G39.04
    • MIL-C-23411A
    • MIL-C-81309D Type III
    • MIL-PRF-16173E Grade 3 Class 1
    • Minntac - US Steel
    • New York City Transit
  2. NSF® International
    • Occidental Chemicals
    • Pratt & Whitney Canada CPMC 79256 Rev. C
    • Shell Oil
    • Tyco Electronics
    • Tyson
    • UPS M-5100-2780-B
 
Well, there we are. I learned something.
 
timwinters said:
Ensuring that the flap rollers are actually rolling is a part of every preflight inspection. And my tracks are less than 25% worn after 58 years.

And some people actually keep their toys clean so dust and grime can't grind up moving parts. ;)
Click to expand...
most people wash the top of their plane very few wash the bottom. Might be they figure all that oil on the belly of the plane stops corrosion.
 
Nahh...they think it lubricates the air and makes the plane faster! :)
 
Lol, a can of WD-40 in the back of the truck is 10x better than the can of magic you left at home... A gallon of corrosion-X liquid will pretty much last you until you are too old to fly.

V/r,
 
GlennAB1 said:
That's what routine maintenance is all about. Clean out the old and reapply. Every lubricant and corrosion inhibitor I've seen attracts dust. That's why Boeing has in their control cable lubrication procedure to not lubricate corrosion resistant steel cables and even mentions excessive wear due to attracted dust.
Click to expand...

All true.

A 49 year old chain on trim jack screw in a Cessna 1xx really is covered in crap anyway. The only way to get these clean is a soaking them in a solvent and using a brush to agitate it. Then blow dry. Then I soak them in oil and pat them "dryish" with a towel.
 
No
GlennAB1 said:
Royco 363 has one milspec listed: MIL-PRF-7870C
"Mineral oil based lubricant with modern additives" That tells a lot!
Click to expand...


All that focus on mil specs. You looked at lubricating high wing (Cessna) flap actuator jack screws? Certain ones say to use "non-detergent #10 oil" that's it. No other references that I've ever found. Others say "molybdenum disulfide grease MIL-PRF-xxxx".

That doesn't even cover lubrication of the flap actuator gearbox which there is no data available and the tech rep I talked to said "order a new actuator assembly". I'm sure most of the old 1960s Cessna are still flying with the same gearboxes that were installed during assembly, and the grease has never been changed.
 
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