A B747-400 INTERNATIONAL CAPTAIN IS CONCERNED THAT AN INOP GLIDE SLOPE IS DEFERRED FOR FIVE DAYS WITH A CONFUSING MEL COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM.

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R GS INOP. NO EFFORT TO FIX IN 5 DAYS ON INTL FLTS. MAINT RELEASED CAT 2 WITH 1 GS DISPLAYED CORRECTLY. MEL ALLOWED CAT 2 RELEASE WITH 1 GS. NO MEL M OR O PROCS ALLOWING DEV FROM SOP SETUP OF EIU SWITCHES IN AUTO. NO MEL MAINT CHK OF CTR GS AND NO PLACARD NEXT TO EIU SWITCH ALLOWING SELECTION FROM AUTO TO CTR. REFUSED ACFT; PEK MAINT SAID GS XFER WAS AUTO; NOT SO -- GS INOP WITH AUTO; OK WITH CTR EIU. MR X SAID CTR GS ON SAI; NOT SO -- NO SAI LOC OR GS DATA IN 400. ILS IDENT OK WITH INVALID GS SUPPLIED DATA; AN FAA FAULT IN ILS DESIGN FOR DECADES. MAINT FINALLY FURNISHED LETTER AUTHORIZING SELECTING OF R EIU TO CTR TO REGAIN VALID GS. MEL WRITTEN WRONG; PROVIDES NO PLT OR MECH AUTH TO DEVIATE FROM SOP AND REGAIN GS PRIOR TO ACFT RELEASE. HOW DOES IT STAY IN SVC 5 DAYS WITH ZERO REPAIR EFFORT -- MMEL PREAMBLE REQUIRES A SPIRIT OF TIMELY REPAIRS. INTL USE PLANE OVER HOSTILE TERRAIN STILL GAINS ZERO MAINT EFFORT TO REPAIR SERIOUS NAV ISSUES. PLANE SITS MANY HRS BTWN TRIPS WITH ZERO REPAIR EFFORT.