Does anyone know if it is legal to replace a non-functioning gear horn with another type of gear horn that is not the original Piper part?

Nope.
You can't even replace it with another piper part from a different model AC. Without of course an STC or field approval...Definitely a pain in the a$$ but sometime it makes since. If there is an AD on any part and it is not a part that was original, or stc'd for your AC, you would not be notified of this potential problem part.

And needless to say this could cause hardship down the road....when the required part is no longer produced... field approvals and stc are not cheap!
So far I have had luck with the salvage yards!!

Good Luck!
Gary

Common sense here, something is better than nothing....I challenge anyone to prove that all the P/N in their airplanes are as published in the parts manual. If it "quacks" like a duck...it is a duck. Fit form and function, get your I/A to sign it off as an owner produced part (you only have to "modify" to fit the definition)

-Zach

Zach:

I agree on your theory .....and I don't know about most, but the I/A's I know would not will sign off the logs.

Still think most salvage yards can produce items like these.

Now fuel selectors...thats a different story!! they are all but extinct!!

IMHO,
Gary

Gary,

If you want to get some of this through, you need to get in with some of the "vintage" type a/p's and I/A's. There certainly is more creativity there than at the local FBO. With that said, there are limits to what most will sign off on, but I think I would have no problem getting a replacement gear horn approved through my channels. As for the logical limit, is the airplane going to fall out of the sky if (whatever) breaks? Is there a safety of flight issue if the gear horn fails? Not really unless you are too dense to forget and put the gear down, and then it only provides a modicum of protection...ex. "after the gear up incident, the pilot of the Mooney stated that he could not hear the towers call to "go around" because of the loud beeping noise in the cockpit" (an excerpt from an actual report).

Yes, I would hazard a guess that many are in salvage yards. Most accidents probably don't hurt the horns. Most of the time it is not the horn that is the issue, it is the nose gear switch wiring, or the throttle position microswitch that causes the horn to be inop.

-Zach