AN ACR FO COMPLAINS ABOUT A BINDING ELEVATOR CTL IN PARTICULAR AND THE DETERIORATING STATE OF HIS ACR'S MAINT PROGRAM IN GENERAL.

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INBOUND CREW ADVISED US OF BOTH AUTOPLTS INOP AND DIFFICULTIES WITH ALTERNATE TRIM. MAINT PLACARDED BOTH AUTOPLTS. DURING TAXI; I FOUND CTLS TO BE FINE BUT UNUSUAL -- BINDING AND STIFF. ON ROTATION CAPT AGREED -- REQUIRED EXTRA FORCE TO GET NOSE UP. ON LNDG BOS; DIFFICULTY EXPERIENCED WITH FORWARD AND BACK PRESSURE. MAINT IN BOS SAID SAME AIRPLANE; SAME PROB THE DAY BEFORE -- FOUND NOTING. FOR US THEY FOUND AN ELEVATOR CABLE PULLEY HANGING BY THE THREADS OF A BOLT (NUT FELL OFF). THIS MADE CTL CHK FEEL NORMAL; BUT NEXT BOS-EWR LEG; THE PROB STILL EXISTED AS BEFORE. EWR MAINT FINALLY (AFTER 3 HRS) GROUNDED ACFT.WHILE WAITING; I MET 1 CAPT AND 2 OTHER FO'S WHO HAD FLOWN AND WRITTEN UP THIS SAME AIRPLANE PROB IN THE PREVIOUS 4 DAYS. I'M SPEAKING OF AN MD80 AT ACR. IT IS MY OPINION THAT SINCE ACR INSTITUTED AN EFFICIENCY STUDY AND REORGANIZATION OF MAINT THAT OUR MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES HAVE INCREASED UNACCEPTABLY. I FLEW MD80'S AT ACR FOR 2.5 YEARS WITH ALMOST NO PROBS. SINCE FALL '93; PLACARDS HAVE RETURNED; MECHS ARE DEMORALIZED; AND DELAYS HAVE INCREASED. THIS RPT OF AN ELEVATOR CTL PROB TAKING 4 DAYS TO TROUBLESHOOT SHOULD SCARE SOMEBODY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS ASKED TO FIND OUT; IF POSSIBLE; WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROB. LATER; THE RPTR HAD A 'SIT AROUND' IN EWR AND GOT TOGETHER WITH A MECH THAT HELPED WITH THE PROB AND FOUND THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN TAKEN OFF THE LINE FOR 2 DAYS. THE MAINT CREW GAVE THE SYS A 'FULL LUBE' TO NO AVAIL AND THEN CHANGED THE 'ELEVATOR LOAD FEEL CENTERING CTL.' THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW IF THERE HAD BEEN A TEST FLT; BUT THERE PROBABLY WAS 1 OR MORE. THE RPTR DID NOT PURSUE THIS TO SEE IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY FURTHER PROBS.