AIRLINE MAINT PROC. N1 GAUGE WAS STICKY AND; PRIOR TO START; REQUIRED INSURING FREE ROTATION. MAINT RPTED THAT HAD BEEN DONE AND NEED NOT BE ENTERED AS AN MEL IN THE LOGBOOK. IT WAS LEARNED LATER THAT A RECENT MEL DID REQUIRE A LOGBOOK ENTRY AND THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN WITH AN MEL ITEM NOT LOGGED.

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ON JUN/XX/96; I WAS THE CAPT OF ACR FLT. THIS WAS A DOMESTIC SCHEDULED FLT FROM BOS-PIE-FLL. UPON ARR AT THE ACFT; I WAS MET BY OUR MAINT PERSONNEL AT BOS. WE REVIEWED 5 MEL CARRY-OVER ITEMS IN THE LOG; THIS INCLUDED A 'STICKY' #2 ENG FAN COMPRESSOR SPD (N1) TACHOMETER. IT WAS WRITTEN-UP AND DEFERRED PER THE MEL. THE MEL STATED THAT BEFORE START; THE #2 ENG NEEDED TO BE INSPECTED FOR FREE N1 ROTATION. THIS WAS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BY GAINING ACCESS VIA THE #2 ENG ACCESS DOOR. MAINT ASSURED ME THAT THEY HAD PERSONALLY DONE THIS. THE MEL DID NOT REQUIRE A LOGBOOK ENTRY SO NONE WAS MADE. (CERTAIN ITEMS IN OUR MEL REQUIRED A SPECIFIC ENTRY.) I BRIEFED THE FO AND FE ON THE PROB DURING PREFLT. THE N1 GAUGE IN QUESTION OPERATED NORMALLY DURING START AND INFLT TO PIE. AT PIE THE FE GAINED ACCESS TO #2 ENG AND AGAIN ASSURED N1 ROTATION. NO LOG ENTRY WAS MADE. WE FLEW NORMALLY FROM PIE-FLL. AT FLL; OUR MAINT PERSONNEL INFORMED ME OF A RECENT CHANGE TO OUR MEL REQUIRING LOGBOOK ENTRIES FOR ANY MEL SPECIFIC PROCS. HE INSPECTED #2 ENG; MADE THE APPROPRIATE ENTRIES AND CONTINUED ON THE NEXT LEG OF FLT. I AM CONCERNED I WILL BE CHARGED WITH NOT OPERATING TO THE MEL RESTRS. OUR FLCS WERE NOT AWARE OF THE CHANGE; AS WELL AS MOST OF OUR MAINT PERSONNEL. I ALSO QUESTION THE NECESSITY OF BURDENING CREWS WITH MORE PAPERWORK. THIS PROB IS NOW BEING ADDRESSED BY BOTH OUR DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL (AS WELL AS FLT-OPS). BETTER COM ON THE PART OF THE COMPANY WOULD HAVE POSSIBLY AVOIDED THIS SENSELESS SIT. ALSO THE WISDOM OF 5 MEL ITEMS ON AN ACFT WITH SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH ALSO PUTS UNDO WORKLOADS ON THE CREWS.