I'm worried about the forces that are causing this "excessive wear" on our
hinge pins. Is it loose pins causing the flutter or flutter causing the
loose pins. I'm not qualified to guess. I'd appreciate comments from someone
who is.

Bill,

 

I'm not qualified BUT I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once.  Let's first make sure that we agree that you do not mean traditional "flutter" caused by an unbalanced control surface and some initial excitation.  I don't have loose pins because of the oversized ones I am using.  The "trails" are only on the outboard hinges of the small tail. (MKII tail uses center hinges with bearings).  If I grab my vertical stab and horizontal stab and shake them,  the movement about the airframe center line is, uh, interesting.  So...

 

Is my tail "wigglier" than others?

 

What might the outboard excitation be?  Airframe harmonics? Dirty air from the prop or wing?  Spinning air striking the vertical? Worn out only 2 year old) engine isolators (soft)?  Assuming that I have taken care of any engine part contacting the airframe or cowling (I have).  Why now?

 

BTW, I had a heck of a time removing the teflon tubing from the outboard hinges since they had flowed into the spaces between the hinge loops.  That is why I saw little or no wear trails before - but I could not stand the looseness.  Maybe the fellow that sells the "kit" uses something other than the teflon spagetti from McMaster-Carr and SS welding rod and maybe that's why his kit is expensive.