Water in Logsplitter Engine Tank

[NWCS]

i bought a truck that had the rear fuel tank messed with. somebody had put paint and antifreeze in the tank to get back at the last owner. truck is still down to only 1 tank right now heh.

a side note on those cap locks, if its a honda or similar engine there is no room for a lock like that. cap nearly touches the tank on those buggers

 

[mdotis]

I would just Drain the tank when done

If you drain the tank when you are done for the day, then drain any water out of it before you start. Refill it with gas and the prank is no longer a problem at all. Would be nice to catch the little prankster and give him a whooping though.

Good luck with this one.

 

[Wood Doctor]

i bought a truck that had the rear fuel tank messed with. somebody had put paint and antifreeze in the tank to get back at the last owner. truck is still down to only 1 tank right now heh.

a side note on those cap locks, if its a honda or similar engine there is no room for a lock like that. cap nearly touches the tank on those buggers

I checked and it's a Honda knock off engine with the cap really close to the tank. There is practically no neck, so a locking cap may not fit. I am trying a temporary solution:
(1) Use up almost all the gas on each occasion.
(2) Crank the engine first to see if it runs. It usually always starts on the first pull.
(3) After 15 seconds, shut her down and add enough gas for the session. If it dies immediately, I know that water has been added.
(4) Cover the splitter with a tarp and weight it down with blocks in a well-defined patter. If the blocks are not in the same pattern, I know it's been tampered with and I should be prepared for water in the tank.

 

[goof008]

I'm a slow learner and always think I'll get back and use my splitter sooner than I do. By the time I do get back and use it, the carb is gummed up. I've just started only putting about a quart in at a time. When it runs out, I decide if I'm done or not and add as much as I think I'll use. I'm not leaving any gas in it anymore.

If you do the same thing, when you go to put gas in it, you'll know if someone has messed with it. I'd also shut the gas off so whatever they put in there doesn't get into the carb

 

[Iska3]

He might have meant Craigs List. Actually, I would probably buy one of these from Cabellas. But, to drop $150 for a trail cam in order to catch a prankster means that the prankster wins yet another battle.

Sorry, I meant CL or Craigs list. When bear got one of my good digital cams, We had someone taking things from our other property so I picked up an older trail cam that uses 35mm film for 35.00 on Craigs List. I put that camera high in a tree and had it facing down toward my pole barn, I caught the two kids on film taking old tractor parts. I even had pictures of them trying to get to the camera. The sad part is, the kids were under age so they only got their hands slapped and sent home to their mommy. The good part is, the word got around and no one goes on the property now.

 

[Iska3]

What about putting some kind of splitter/fuel selector on the bottom of the fuel tank with a hose running to where you can catch the 12oz of water/non-fuel and then you know when the fuel is 'clean'.

I have a sump on our plane to drain off the water and a small test tube. Even if you put a "T" and a valve to catch the lower gas would help. But not solve the problem.

 

[discounthunter]

get yourself a thermas full of good coffee,a good digital camera or video equipment and a good book. sit on the roof or somewhere out of view. and wait.the thrill this pukk gets is not getting caught,i think once he gets caught he will dissappear(or spend some time in jail for restitution.

on a side note, it may cause some trouble, but i would also get a paint gun, fill it with bright pink ammo, not only take his picture but paint his butt pink!(this works good on neighbors dogs ,who "dont stray")