Diggin' in the dirt

After cutting the old drain pipe out, Dad scooped some crud out of the pipe and we thoroughly cleaned it out with the hose. This way, we're sure there aren't obstructions in the line (for at least 20 or 30 feet) and that water will still drain properly - we didn't ruin anything! ;)

The old clay pipe was - you guessed it - a non-standard size. We used a pair of Fernco rubber couplings to decrease the size of the pipe from the 5" clay down to the 2" PVC. This also insures a better seal as you can't glue or solder to clay. (The skinny white pipe is drainage from the furnace)

Ta-Da! New drain installed and draining like a champ! AND, the sewer gas smell is totally gone from the house!
That little loopy-loop (P-trap) just below the grate stores just enough water to seal out any gas from backing up through the line into the room - the other drain was just a straight pipe with a drain hole, so it makes sense that it would have failed.
This project wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. We're letting everything settle for a while before filling the hole in; once we're confident there are no leaks or malfunctions, we'll tamp the dirt, backfill with gravel, and pour new concrete sloping everything toward the new drain.