Con-Rod Curve
Location
Forest Service Road 54 - just east of the Yakima River bridge.
History
This is on F.S. Road 54 - just east of the Yakima River bridge. It was here on a horrible Sunday night in 1976 that a connecting rod burst through the side of the Tom Cat engine block. It was about 8 PM, raining, dark, sleet crust all over, crying kids, mad parents, the works. Believe it or not, a new engine was in Tom Cat by Wednesday night, and the hut opened the next weekend as usual. nw
Jan 20 On Sunday evening outward trip at Yakima River bridge, broke con-rod in engine. Bad snow contributed. Broken con-rod breached pan dumping engine oil. By bandaging pan, tying rope to restrain flailing con-rod, using 5 cylinders and 16 quarts of oil, managed to run tractor out to overpass. In ensuing 3 days, volunteers assembled a replacement engine and installed in tractor - no loss of weekend time. hw
Jan 20th-23rd 1976 hi
- Tom Cat Engine failure
- Sunday outbound trip
- Broke a connecting-rod in engine at Yakima River
- Sent out Skiers to get any extra oil they had in their cars
- Bad weather conditions (3/4” sleet, crust, rain) and a late start contributed
- Broken connecting-rod at crank which then breached oil pan, dumped oil.
- Use sanitary napkins to plug hole in pan
- used rope to restrain failed rod thus driving with only 5 cylinders
- Used 16 qts. of oil, managed to get Tom-cat to overpass by 8:30 pm
- Tom has a spare block at home
- Meanyites met at Tom’s house on Monday and came up with parts list
- On Tuesday Tom & Bob Grass assembled Engine
- Starting on Wednesday at 8 am the crew dropped old engine
- installed new by 6 pm
- Second crew started at 6 pm and completed the installation and
- Tom-cat running by 10 pm