Anyone have any good tricks for removing the horizontal stab on a PA-30? Of course complied with the maintenance manual, but there's clearly some corrosion between the steel torque tube and aluminum stab fitting causing it to stick. Soaking the joint with kroil now, but any ideas/tricks?

If twisting the stabilator back and forth while pulling it off doesn't work, then you will need to remove the four bolts holding the inboard yoke that rides on the torque tube. Than the stabilator will come off as that is what is hanging up. After cleaning the corrosion, you can free the yoke and reinstall it in the stabilator.

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Thanks Kristin! Was considering that as I was spraying the kroil. Those fwd bolts are gonna be real tough to get to. Appreciate it! Happy New Years!

Finally got it off. Ended up fabricating a special wrench to pull the inbd collar off. Very very little corrosion between the collar and torque tube once I got it off (2 wipes with a scotch bright pad got it right up) but it was enough to be a hassle!

I am glad it worked out. Better the owner do it than the shop. Those are the jobs that are impossible to make the owner happy about unless they are looking over your shoulder and understand how difficult a simple job can be.

Here is something I wrote up last Febuary about removing the stabilizer if it wont twist off easily.. you should remove your stabilizer to clean up any rust or possible freezing .Remember most of these elevators havent been off since plane was built so I recommend to do so.In case AD comes out you have it half licked. OK This process might be in comanche tip book im not sure.Take tail cone off first,remove bolt that connects trim tab rod to trim tab,than remove tail cone, let it hang down,,Lets start with right side remove of the stabilizer........look for bolt in rear that connects both halfs of the stabilizer together and remove it so both halfs of stabilizer are not connected together, This is a must.....OK now HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART and why im writing this.You must take out both bolts that run horizontal on inboard side of each elevator half look very carefully once tail cone is off, these bolts are on the inboard side of each elevator half I think they are 7/16".Be careful to note that the washer is not flat on one side it has a rounded side on one side, DO NOT LOOSE THESE WASHERS WEBCO TOLD MR YOU CANT GET THEM BE, CAREFUL......By removing these bolts as you slide your tail off you will be leaving ONE inboard torque tube fitting on the tube instead of sliding it over the aged weathered unclean tube. By doing this you are making it easier to wiggle tail half off because you are removing one torque tube fitting instead of 2 at a time....Once you wiggle the STAB off by having 2 people do this you rotate Stabalizer all way up and down untill it hits the stops, than twist as you pull stab out.NOW twist other way and applying OUTWARD pressure. One more thing, spray a rust buster or liquid wrench on both holes on top of STAB to help loosen rust. Keep TWISTING and PULLING OUT BOTH WAYS.REMEMBER outward pressure also.GO slow Dont lET it fly off and land on floor.OH MY.................OK once its off you will most likely see cruddy area on shaft between 2 shiny areas where the brackets were wrapping around the tube.Clean these RUSTY areas. DO NOT GO ROUGH make sure you dont scratch it especially on the shiny areas thats not rusted. Keep spraying rust buster on it and sand it with 220 paper,or whatever.Use your head........OK once you do this and its nice and clean use a small torch, the one you see in a hardware store, to apply small amount of heat.DONT GO CRAZY NOW just a little heat. Use a BIG adjustable pair of pliers with a rag over the bracket ....Work bracket off remember what way bracket was pointing and mark left and right side on bracket with a magic marker,and bam you did it............clean up shaft its about 12" long real nice and clean."Scrape off paint toward sealed bushing" and clean that also. Get oil off and paint that area so its not exposed to weather..ONLY paint area where you scraped paint off, leave shiny area unpainted.....only paint the area close to the "sealed bushing" up to the first shiny area, maybe like 2 inches from the tail cone area.Dont paint anymore than that 2 inch area..from the tail cone area.The other part of the shaft gets never sieze By doing this procedure you saved alot of time trying to pull bracket over a rusty area and made your life easy. WHEN INSTALLING ELEVATOR INSTALL BRACKET BACK IN STABILIZER REMEMBER THE ROUNDED WASHER GOES THERE behind the nut, at least my C model had it. Put never seize on shaft and install Stabilizer along with bracket ALREADY BOLTED TO STABILIZER.Repeat other side same way...........Once you do this next time all you have to do is take out 2 bolts on top of STABILIZER and bolt in between RT and LFT Stabilizer and slide it off like butter.DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN BOLTS that connect STAB to airplane,as this could make bracket unround.. I think during annual I will remove one side of STABILIZER relube and next year do other side.This in my mine will make it easier to remove that dam tail cone without scratching it.Good luck this job took me 3 1/2 hrs not bad I think. Good luck Edward Pencosky ICS 9571

Last edited by Edward Pencosky on Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.