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Dent in gastank

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tompasio
  • Start date Start date
T

Tompasio

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Is it possible to remove a dent in the tank ,( Tell me how) or must i buy another tank.Please adwise.
 
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I had some dents that I was able to pop out by sticking a tire iron in some of the various openings(gas ,petcock) and putting pressure on the dent from the inside. Others I used bondo.
Also had limited success with those suction cups.
That's three ways.
 
Degree of success depends upon the severity of the dent. If there aren't any creases you should have pretty good luck. I've used a suction cup with major success and also one of those devices that involves dripping hotmelt adhesive on the surface, bonding a plunger of sorts to it and then pulling it out. If you use one of these type devices though be forewarned that they can also pull any decals off. Don't ask me how I know. :cry:
Willie in TN
 
Dent repair is easy…take the bike to the desert and drop a firecracker in the tank.
 
Dent repair is easy…take the bike to the desert and drop a firecracker in the tank.

Wow! Hey Ed, how big of a firecracker will I need for my tank? Or should I just leave the gas in it?

DSCF4533.jpg


:D


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Wow Cliff !!

As much as I'm happy that you're on the mend, I really hate to see Jessie like that !!

Have you come up with a list of the damage and the parts she will need ?

I have a couple much smaller dents in my tank. I had a friend tell me to use marine epoxy. I haven't researched it yet, but it's supossed to be similiar to bondo to work with and won't ever shrink.:)
 
That's far bejond my limited abity to deal with. If you can't find a good used tank, perhaps there's one out there that you can salvage the right side. I've grafted a Hyabusa filler cap on the 1100 and can tell you that the GS tanks are built with thicker sheet than the new bikes, so it makes them easier to weld, or braze depending on your preference.
 
Even on a creased dent, a body shop may be able to pull it out with a stud gun - they weld metal stud to the cavity, strap the tank down, then pull on the studs with a slide hammer. Sound easier than I think it is. (Mine was apparently about three hours of heavy labour.) Then standard body filler and finishing.

If you want that solution, you'll need to find a willing shop and clean the tank out well beforehand.

- Richard
 
Is it possible to remove a dent in the tank ,( Tell me how) or must i buy another tank.Please adwise.


I had about a 3" dent in my tank, and I had it proffessionally removed. My bodyshop used a special "spoon" specifically made for motorcycle tanks. The spoon, and some gentil heat, and he got 90% of the dent out. I was VERY impressed!

My advice is if you are asking on the internet "how" to remove a dent, just leave the dent alone, cause i'm betting you will make it far worse than it already is....
 
Here is what mine looks like and no one I have talked to holds any hope of repair. I have acquired another tank which is Black and has a couple of dime size dents in it. Since mine doesn't leak and functions fine, I am riding it as is until funds to repair and paint the other one become available. Besides, a tank bag camos the damage pretty well.;)

HomeAgain002.jpg
 
Here is what mine looks like and no one I have talked to holds any hope of repair. I have acquired another tank which is Black and has a couple of dime size dents in it. Since mine doesn't leak and functions fine, I am riding it as is until funds to repair and paint the other one become available. Besides, a tank bag camos the damage pretty well.;)

HomeAgain002.jpg
Hrmmm Scott, bang one just like that into the other side, and from that angle it ALMOST looks like a Bandit tank:D
 
I have also heard of the "plug it" and "blow it" method using compressed air as well..... no friggin' way would I ever try this... !
 
I have also heard of the "plug it" and "blow it" method using compressed air as well..... no friggin' way would I ever try this... !

Yup, very bad idea. It will spread the tank halves apart and the tank won't ever sit right on its mounts again. You'll also hear a tale about filling a dented tank with water and letting it freeze -- another really, really bad idea for the same reason.


My VX800 tank is pranged from my episode of pavement surfing, but holds fuel safely so I'm not going to mess with it. It's mostly covered by a tank bag anyway.

My GS850 had a fist-size dent in the top, but I was able to reach it and pop it out with a large lever. The paint cracked, but I just keep the area waxed to prevent rust. I'll probably never bother to repaint it.
 
Yup, very bad idea. It will spread the tank halves apart and the tank won't ever sit right on its mounts again.
That's exactly what will happen. I took a dented KZ900 tank to a bodyshop and they did the air compressor trick without me knowing about it. They tried to tell me it was like that when I brought it in. After nearly getting into a fist fight right there they conceeded to replace the tank with a used one.

Don't ever used compressed air on a tank.
 
Here are some pictures of my dents.

Here are some pictures of my dents.

P7160037.jpg

P7160038.jpg

P7160039.jpg
 
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Tom, with those dents and their location, I would suggest one of two options.

1) Have them pulled using 'weld/tab' method (anytime you stick something through the filler neck you run the risk of denting it and causing fuel leaks under the cap) then body work and paint.

OR

2) find another tank. :(

Here's one that I did earlier this year and though there were no 'major' dents, the process is the same.
Hondatank-tins010.jpg
 
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