AircraftOwner Online

If you own or maintain an aircraft which flies behind a TCM fuel injected engine, you'll want to read this. 
I want to find out how many of you realize what TCM is doing right now.  TCM is presently trying to restrict fair trade within the aviation community.  I own a company called Aircraft Fuel Specialists, Ltd. and have operated my business since 1977.  I am one of the few companies that specialize in the repair and overhaul of reciprocating aircraft fuel systems such as carburetors, fuel injection systems, and fuel pumps.  Over many years, Teledyne Continental Motors has made an active effort to put businesses like mine out of the business of TCM fuel system repairs by various methods.  First, they tried to "price" us out of the market, but those few of us in the industry that had the knowledge, experience, and equipment to overhaul TCM fuel injection systems have managed to hang in there.  Now, since they evidently think they've eliminated enough of us out of the market, TCM has began to raise their prices on exchange fuel systems to nose bleed levels once again and it's getting even higher.  As if that isn't bad enough, now they are attempting a new tactic to get rid of the few shops around the world that still overhaul their systems.  They are refusing to distribute the parts to enable us to do proper repairs, so when the existing parts in the system are depleted, mechanics and owners will have no choice but to go to TCM for an exchange for any problem they might have with their fuel systems.  They are also telling anyone who will listen that they are the only ones authorized to overhaul their fuel systems even though they issued overhaul manuals for many years and one can still purchase an overhaul manual and obtain FAA certification to overhaul their systems.  I'm quite sure that the price of an exchange fuel system will go up to a level that few aircraft owners who fly behind a TCM engine could imagine once the few remaining shops are gone if something isn't done.  Right now, if I call their "customer support" to get help with information on a fuel system, they tell me they won't provide any information and that I shouldn't be overhauling their systems.  They state, "The overhaul manual your using is one we have deleted and we no longer support".  Of course, I have four copies of their manual and mine are not deleted, but that doesn't seem to matter to them.  TCM tells me emphatically that they are not selling the parts for TCM fuel injection systems any more and that once the parts in the system are used up, there will not be any more from them. 

Even the FAA seems to be engaged in an effort to make those of us who make a living overhauling TCM fuel systems stop and it seems like TCM has in some way influenced them to do so.  TCM has a responsibility to provide "continued airworthiness" for their systems and they have failed miserably in this for as long as I can remember and the FAA seems to be oblivious to this fact.  TCM has refused to provide information and updates on their fuel systems in order to allow us who overhaul and repair them to do so with safety and reliability.  We have been forced to seek out information by what ever means we can to provide safe and reasonably priced units for the aviation community.  Of course, what they want is the ability to have anyone who needs a simple repair to be required to exchange a component or the entire system.  You see, TCM doesn't do repairs, and they won't overhaul your system, but they would be happy to exchange your entire fuel pump for need of one $5.00 oring.