How to wreck a diesel theif's day?

[farmguy]

I make a living managing farms for people. At one remote farm we have a 500 gallon diesel tank to fuel tractors and other farm equipment. Recently some thieves have realized that it isn't too hard to cut down the fence and grab some free fuel. We have lost over a thousand dollars of fuel in the past few months.

I wanted to give a healthy amount of background before I asked my question which may seem controversial.

I'm fed up with the theft and I have decided that we will be keeping our diesel elsewhere, but there will still be a large tank sitting in our farm inviting people to come destroy our fence. Is there anything I can add to diesel that will do some serious damage to an engine but won't make the fuel look altered? My goal is to leave around 40 gallons of our 'reformulated' diesel for the next person who tries to steal from us.

Sugar is one thing I have heard, but snopes.com debugged that as a myth. Adding regular gasoline is another option I've heard but after googling that, many sites say that gas will only harm a diesel engine if used chronically.

Can anybody here think of something that will stop some thieves in their tracks?

[eagleeye]

I would try a booby trap, trip wire or maybe adding something like muratic or sulfuric acid to the diesel might wreak havoc on the engine, injectors, o-rings. Others will chime in.

[farmguy]

Originally Posted by eagleeye

I would try a booby trap, trip wire or maybe adding something like muratic or sulfuric acid to the diesel might wreak havoc on the engine, injectors, o-rings. Others will chime in.

I'll look into the acids, but booby traps are out of the question. While it's not illegal to store bad fuel, it is VERY illegal to put booby traps out (even on private property). You'll notice that where ever there are spike strips, there are about 20 signs warning you about it.

Other opinions on this subject are welcome.

[RatherBNtheWoods]

I wouldn't do anything as far as a booby trap as those are illegal in several states, and may harm an innocent person. I would think adding some lye or other caustic to the diesel would do some serious harm to most diesel engines.

[farmguy]

First, thank you guys for caring enough to answer, I hate to throw water on the fire but I realized a problem with both lye and muratic acid.

First the acids are polar, so they wouldn't incorporate well with the diesel, second the tank is metal. So neither will be possible because I do intend to use the tank again someday and a strong corrosive may wreck our expensive tank.

I wish I had said this originally but until now I hadn't even considered a corrosive agent. So I like the originality I see here.

[eagleeye]

Hey guys, I was just teasin' about the booby trap or trip wire. Have you thought about just plain ole water mixed with the diesel? Might not damage the engine but sure would slow them down.

[ReefBlue]

Well, mythbusters tried to kill a car by putting stuff in a gas tank and their best results were attained with bleach. It destroyed the engine pretty quickly.

Bleach is clear, you could do a 50/50 mix. If the break ins are at night, no one will notice the difference.

[budtoh3zo]

gas or water both will do damage but gas would be less noticable but you would need a fair amount to do real damage.

[budtoh3zo]

the bleach was in the oil destroyed it fast, in the gas it had to sit till it rusted the fuel tank. so i dont think he would want it is his tank.

[4micaman]

Man - I don't envy you. Can certainly empathize with your frustration.

I'm sure you've thought of it but, I'll mention it anyway... What about using a legal avenue instead of a vindictive approach. Mounting a game camera might net you enough evidence to pursue legal actions.

I know you guys would just assume to catch them red handed and beat the snot out of them. That's the only way to "stop them in their tracks" as you asked for.

Perhaps you all could find an old tank (think throw away) and then use the caustic means that's been discussed.

[Copper]

A really good thing to use, and something you might have at hand anyhow, is LIQUID FERTILIZER! But, like has been said, Dang Tough on steel tanks. I did nab a guy early this year with it, though. Same scenario, stealing gas out of a farm tank at a remote site (it actually was near the machine shed we keep the "toys" in, so we had a tank of gas there for the boat, jetskis, snowmobiles, etc.). I casually left a 5 gallon plastic jerrycan sitting under it, full of fert, with a little gas on top (it floats on ferilizer, and gets the right smell if they were to sniff it). Found his vehicle 4 miles away, abandoned. Not sure what the sherrif's department did with it after they towed it.

[drcampbell]

Originally Posted by 4micaman

... What about using a legal avenue instead of a vindictive approach. Mounting a game camera might net you enough evidence to pursue legal actions. ...

Maybe they can be charged with both theft, and with running red Diesel fuel.
A photograph of someone putting red Diesel into a truck would certainly be probable cause.

[farmguy]

Originally Posted by Copper

A really good thing to use, and something you might have at hand anyhow, is LIQUID FERTILIZER! But, like has been said, Dang Tough on steel tanks. I did nab a guy early this year with it, though. Same scenario, stealing gas out of a farm tank at a remote site (it actually was near the machine shed we keep the "toys" in, so we had a tank of gas there for the boat, jetskis, snowmobiles, etc.). I casually left a 5 gallon plastic jerrycan sitting under it, full of fert, with a little gas on top (it floats on ferilizer, and gets the right smell if they were to sniff it). Found his vehicle 4 miles away, abandoned. Not sure what the sherrif's department did with it after they towed it.

That seems like a good idea, but I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that we are going to have to move that tank or face more break-ins.

Something tells me that these people don't care about running red diesel; they probably have bigger things to worry about (warrants?) if they get pulled over. It's also possible that they are selling it to farmers who don't care if their diesel is stolen.

Thank you all for your help.

[roofeditor]

Originally Posted by farmguy

That seems like a good idea, but I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that we are going to have to move that tank or face more break-ins.

Something tells me that these people don't care about running red diesel; they probably have bigger things to worry about (warrants?) if they get pulled over. It's also possible that they are selling it to farmers who don't care if their diesel is stolen.

Thank you all for your help.

That liquid drain cleaner in the fuel system will destroy an injection system for ever. This I'm SURE of!

[aTX427]

Where is your farm located? JK - what about motion detecting lights with a camera at the pump. Adding a sign that survailance in progress will probably be a deterant as well as long as the system works.