Lubricant for the yoke connection

[ArrowFlyer86]

When I get my plane (PA28R) back from annual each year the shaft connecting the yoke is always well greased with virtually no friction giving the controls a nice, new frictionless feel. Now I'd kind of like do that maintenance myself periodically b/c after 150h it's not as nice...

Curious is there a specific lubricant I should use for that - or can I use whatever?

For clarification, this is what I'm talking about:

 

[Bell206]

Curious is there a specific lubricant I should use for that - or can I use whatever?

FYI: some lubricants don't work as well when mixed. Perhaps find out what your APIA uses (and method) and stick to that.

 

[Lon Stratton]

This is from my PA32 maintenance manual.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Never use grease. It attracts dust and forms sticky sludge that could cause control problems.

I always cleaned that shaft off with non-chlorinated brake cleaner. Sometimes I had to work it into the bushing in the panel and loosen up the crud in there and blow it out. The crud comes from skin oils from pilots' hands. I used dry silicone spray lube. Sprays on wet, then dries. Slick, and no dust attractant.

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

View attachment 113937 This is from my PA32 maintenance manual.

Thanks! I need to get the maintenance manual for mine. I only have the POH and a separate operating manual.

Never use grease. It attracts dust and forms sticky sludge that could cause control problems.

I always cleaned that shaft off with non-chlorinated brake cleaner. Sometimes I had to work it into the bushing in the panel and loosen up the crud in there and blow it out. The crud comes from skin oils from pilots' hands. I used dry silicone spray lube. Sprays on wet, then dries. Slick, and no dust attractant.

Glad I asked!

 

[Dan Thomas]

The "don't lube the shaft" thing in the manual might date from the pre-silicone lube days.

The Cessna seat rail/rollers/locks AD prohibits the use of lubricants on the rollers. In spite of that, I have found rollers seized because people insisted on oiling them. Seized rollers get flat-spotted. They eat the tracks, thinning the flanges so they might fail, and they cause the seat to tip due to the friction as the pilot tries to shift it, and the tilt drags the roller housing tangs on the underside of the aluminum rail flange and thins it from that side, too. Never lube those rollers.

But Cessna manuals mention using paraffin wax on the underside and edges of the rail flanges. That doesn't attract dust, and it inhibits galling and wear of the flange and lets the seat slide easily.

 

[murphey]

I use a silicon-based lube for bicycle chains and such for the yoke shaft. I also use it for the rollers on the seats (Cherokee PA28). Clean the rollers and the rails really good. Add the TriFlow, remove the excess. Works like a charm.

Tri-Flow TF0021060

 

[Domenick]

Never use grease. It attracts dust and forms sticky sludge that could cause control problems.

I always cleaned that shaft off with non-chlorinated brake cleaner. Sometimes I had to work it into the bushing in the panel and loosen up the crud in there and blow it out. The crud comes from skin oils from pilots' hands. I used dry silicone spray lube. Sprays on wet, then dries. Slick, and no dust attractant.

Exactly what I do. I have a dedicated, clean shoprag in a side pocket. Before every flight I stroke down both yoke shafts. Occasionally, I'll use brake cleaner and then a dry silicone as above. Replace the shoprag every year.

Some brake cleaner will remove paint and melt plastic. When I got my Warrior (PA-28-161) the yoke shaft panel bushing was gunked up. I packed the front and back of the panel with rags and sprayed brake cleaner into the bushing, worked the shaft and repeated. It took a few applications to get all the old grease and gunk, probably WD-40, out. You could also remove the plastic strip covering the bushing block, loosen the block to provide better access to the bushing. You'll not be able to remove the bushing, the block, or the plastic strip so during the procedure they simply hang off the shaft.

Of course removing the bushing block is an A&P-required action.

MX manual: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ejbeiwm3csvlue3/MM761895.pdf?dl=1
Part manual: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4rwf980pu6bmzut/pc761894.pdf?dl=1

If these do not cover your serial number try these:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/a3gpkpirg...-140,150,160,180,235,R180,R200.v2008.pdf?dl=1
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2ak082bs4...-140,150,160,180,235,R180,R200.v2009.pdf?dl=1

 

[Dan Thomas]

Some brake cleaner will remove paint and melt plastic. When I got my Warrior (PA-28-161) the yoke shaft panel bushing was gunked up. I packed the front and back of the panel with rags and sprayed brake cleaner into the bushing, worked the shaft and repeated. It took a few applications to get all the old grease and gunk, probably WD-40, out.

Brake cleaner will eat polycarbonate (Lexan). Keep it away from safety glasses and modern light lenses.

There's usually a bit of room between the shaft and bushing, so I have used a strip of 220-grit waterproof sandpaper, maybe an inch wide, hold it curved over the shaft to form a file, and work that around and back and forth to really scrub that crud out of the bushing. DON'T sand the shaft.

 

[Llewtrah381]

On my Warrior I’ve tried the dry silicone and it does OK - but never for as long or as well as a TINY dab of the Dow DC4 I have for the oil filter o rings. I put a bit on, work the yokes a lot, wipe it off, repeat, and after the last time I do this (which helps clean out the bushing), I put a tiny amount on and work it in. If I put on too much, I wipe off the excess. That usually lasts me a good while and hasn’t been messy if used sparingly.