I take issue with what the Piper guy told the A&P shame on him or her
its just flat wrong.

The bottom line is the Federal Aviation Rules (FAR). The FAR are
public law under Title 49 and in Title 49, part 43, Section 43.13(a) it
states: Each person performing maintenance, alteration, or preventive
maintenance on an aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance shall use
the methods, techniques, and practices prescribed in the current
manufacturer's maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued
Airworthiness prepared by its manufacturer, or other methods,
techniques, and practices acceptable to the Administrator, except as
noted in §43.16.

What this means is the person who repairs or maintains an aircraft MUST
follow the current maintenance manual period. If something is not in
the manual you cannot do it unless approved by the FAA Administrator.
If a Piper representative says you cannot do something they are wrong
unless it so states it in the maintenance manual. If the repair manual
shows a repair for the control surfaces which it does the mechanic can
perform it because Section 43.13(a) says so (it the law).

Sorry but Piper is all wet on this issue if they did state such a
thing. I would bet the Piper Company would not put it in writing and
give it to your mechanic would they?

Stache