turtle's

after my free breakfast at mama z's, i gassed up my van.   leaving the gas station, i pulled over to dislodge a stone that was wedged in my tread.  while i did that i decided to check again for any evidence of a gas leak - something i had suspected for days but couldn't confirm.  i got a whiff of gasoline smell when i circled my van and had smelled some fuel overnight too.   looking again at the tank, i discovered the leak!  it was dripping where the hose was attached to the tank.  most of the tank was wet from dew, but there was definitely a leak too.

i figured i better get it looked at asap.  i went back to mama z and asked if she recommended a mechanic.  she sent me a block away - the other side of town - to turtle's repair shop.

turtle took a look at the problem.  gas spilled all over while he tried to siphon it into temporary containers.  he had to get the gas out to figure out if he could fix it.  he applied a sealant at the problem area and we had to wait for over an hour to let it harden.  during that time he invited me in for coffee and his wife showed up and heated up a can of mushroom soup for me!  they were fun to chat with.   we started to put the gasoline back in the tank but unfortunately the sealant didn't work at all.  : (

eventually he decided he couldn't fix it.  at least he was able to significantly slow the leak using a bungee cord - haha!  and during his investigation we determined that it didn't leak as much when the tank was less than 3/4 full.  so i continued my journey keeping an eye on the leak and remembering not to fill it all the way. it was something i'd have to fix soon, but at least i could still drive.