A group of us at ITA Software chipped-in to buy a Tornado Elite. It has been a tremendous improvement over our old Harvard table, but it hasn't been without its own issues. In particular, we've had a recurring problem of bent rods and flaking chrome. We're still under the 1-year warranty, so Valley-Dynamo has been sending us replacement rods. As a result, I've installed and replaced quite a number of rods at this point. See below for my installation instructions.
Removing the old rod
- Bang out the man roll pins using the punch; abut the square wood block with the man you're working on for support
- If the punch gets stuck, hammer one of the roll pins on the flat side of the punch enough so the punch loosens a bit (e.g. 1/4"); use pliers or the claw part of a hammer to help you yank the punch out
- Remove the men and bumpers
- Remove the old rod
- Lie the handle of the old rod on a solid counter surface so that the hole is just hanging over the edge; use the punch to remove the roll pin
Installing the new rod
- If installing a 3-man or goalie rod, make sure you have the right one---the goalie rod is shorter than the offense 3-man
- If necessary, take apart, clean and reinstall the bearings; when reinstalling, place the smoother of the two inside half-bearings on bottom
- Stand the new rod up vertically; align the handle hole with the rod holes
- Use the hammer to gently tap the handle onto the rod; make sure the handle hole stays aligned with the rod holes; use the old rod to determine how far you need to bang the handle
- Once you can see the rod hole through the handle hold, place the rod flat on a solid surface and bang the roll pin through
- Lubricate the rod, then slide it through the bearings
- Install the bumpers and men; make sure the bumper holes face outward; make sure the men face forward; line up the men with the rod holes
- Use the wood block and punch to bang the roll pins into place
- Lubricate the rod again
