The Shitzuki bailed out on me a few weeks after his maiden voyage into the depths of Death Valley last year. He turns over but refuses to fire up. I haven't gotten around to figuring out what's ailing him.

And so with a little advice from Alex my co-worker, we figure out that the engine ain't getting no juice since he coughs up to life when you pour gas straight into the carb. Possibly a defective fuel pump. I finally got around to replacing it this morning and with bright cheery eyes I turned the ignition but was met with the cold sputter of a thirsty engine. No dice, no gas.

I reroute the fuel line to a water bottle so I can drink the gas myself when it comes out of the pump, but when we turn the engine the only thing that comes out are rudimentary curse words not suitable for my mouth. Mother effer. I'm changing out all the gas lines and the fuel filter tonight. The Balls of Steel offroad team has a trip scheduled for the weekend, and in true Lovine fashion, we like preparing at the last minute to increase our chances of encountering so called 'adventures' of the spontaneous kind. Le sigh.