Slightly long winded post on exhaust parts but hopefully of use to someone.
Our U.K. based, G reg TB10 was found to have a cracked exhaust (muffler box) and ruined clamps (should have been noted by previous maintenance company) during a routine 50hr check.
The crack was sufficiently bad that the maintenance company or indeed anyone else we tried was not happy to patch up and we’d still require new clamps.
A new exhaust from Socata was quoted at £15000 ish + VAT and the clamps are currently £325.99 + VAT + Shipping. There are none available and no estimate for delivery.
The Chabord exhaust system from France looks very nice and well manufactured. If you have time, I’d probably go for this. We were quoted 6400 Euro but it would be manufactured in October, so probably November delivered. The EASA STC for the Chabord system was also issued post BREXIT, so is not much use in the U.K. (I did get verbal confirmation from the U.K. CAA that they would accept but nothing written). Clamps from Socata are not required as this is a complete system.
Acorn welding in Canada were prepared to refurbish our entire exhaust, but their solution for the clamps is to modify the risers to take Cessna clamps for which they have no paperwork. Maybe this will work in some places but probably not for us.
Gomolzig, now ACS Columbia in Germany have a silencer system to meet some European noise regulations. They are refurbishing our existing risers and then supplying their silencer kit for re-install. The clamps change to Gomolzig clamps this freeing us from that parts supply issue. Their system including refurb of the risers is give or take, 5400 Euro today.
Socata pricing is crazy now, but worse is the situation with the exhaust clamps. Those who didn’t buy some many years ago, or got some done by Dawley before they packed up, are now a bit screwed. In this game you need to work pro-actively, years ahead. A “maintenance” company isn’t going to do that for you… And then the bolts 
I know that Acorn Welding are interested in developing an exhaust system for the TB but they need some “interest”. They have all the dimensions and are probably ready to go. IMHO this is a better way to go in the long term, especially if one goes for Inconel for at least some of it (more expensive but lasts “for ever”).
This and this are worth a read but the owner produced parts is not available for European reg planes. They would need paperwork. Maybe @pilot_dar may know more? A US STC would do because one can then do an EASA STC on the back of it.
I googled around for Chabord and found a load of funny stuff, claiming an EASA STC in 2012 and then in 2016 So it would not surprise me if they are “collecting interest”. Does the STC really exist?
Agreed! The aircraft is relatively new to us, so we haven’t really collected any of the rare/expensive spares; this has been the first gotcha.
The Chabord STC does really exist here
For the TB20 the situation is a bit rosier even (for the UK folks) as the STC was issued before 31st Dec 2020 here
It does look like a very nice piece kit if you don’t mind the aesthetics of the silencer below the cabin. They also claim some fuel consumption decrease and other performance increase, I’d take those with a pinch of salt, but maybe something in it.
Peter wrote:
Does the STC really exist?
Yes. Chabord has an EASA STC #10050022 for installation of a muffler on the TB10. (According to EASAs Noise Certificate database for light propeller aircraft.)
Interestingly there is probably an earlier version of the TB10 STC which could perhaps be used in the UK unless the later revisions are significantly different. Appears to be more a paperwork correction. Might be worth pursuing for someone.
The Gomolzig system is robust and can be maintained at reasonable cost if you later have another crack elsewhere (been there…)
They can “repair” a new exhaust system around the remnants of your current system.
And their clamps are functional and affordable compared to the OEM parts.
I have in the few years of ownership not understood why people in Europe pay these prices for replacing the questionable original construction/parts.
ch.ess wrote:
The Gomolzig system is robust and can be maintained at reasonable cost if you later have another crack elsewhere
Yes, this was our conclusion. Overall a lot less expensive to switch to their system, especially taking the long term view. As a one off, it would have been marginally cheaper to have Acorn rebuild and get a set of clamps, but then you are still tied into the Socata parts chain for what are close to being consumable items.
