1982 850GL tank options?

[Tindjin]

So I seem to be having a kind rough time finding a replacement tank for my '82. It's got some dents I just cannot get out of it and figure it might be cheaper than cutting it in half and finding someone to weld it together (properly not my hack welding skills).

I've found a couple and either they get sold quick or the seller thinks his/hers is made of gold.

What years around 1982 have compatible tanks for the 850GL?

Pic of the main dents. The one on left is a little over 1 inch deep, how it didn't pierce the tank I have no idea. The one on the right I've reduced from almost an inch to about half an inch max depth. There are a couple more on it that are not as bad.


Bonus pick of bike (yes it is a GL, the seat has been modified and it's got, I think, G bars on it)

[Nessism]

The 1100GL tank is the same as yours. You might want to find a body man, they can work out dents like that using one of those weld-on rod pullers.

[twr1776]

The 81 1000GL tank is also the same. As Ed mentioned a bodyshop might be your best bet, especially if the inside is in good condtion. I see the tanks every now and the last nice one I saw went for over $ 300.00

[boingk]

The regular GS850G tanks wouldn't fit would they? I'm assuming the attchment point etc would be the same and its only the rear frame/subframe thats different?

- boingk

[bwringer]

The regular GS850G tanks wouldn't fit would they? I'm assuming the attchment point etc would be the same and its only the rear frame/subframe thats different?

- boingk

No, a G tank wouldn't fit. The G tanks are a good bit longer.

The GL models are more common anyway. Post in "Parts Wanted".

As others have said, any good body shop should be able to work out those dents. Not sure if paintless dent removal would work 100%, but if you're willing to repaint, it wouldn't be hard to make that tank perfect. Why would you have to cut it apart?

Heck, if it's clean inside, there are starving GS-ers in Ethiopia who would be glad to have it...

[Dave8338]

As mentioned, save it if it is clean inside. Those dents are about an hours worth of time (not counting the mud) and a good CLEAN tank is getting harder to find.

If it has not had POR spuzzzzed all over the inside, I wouldn't part with it!

[Tindjin]

I'd forgotten about trying the "weld on a stick and pull that" trick. I'll give that a try. I've had a couple tanks where the dents couldn't be gotten out without cutting it in half and going at them from the inside. The whole thing is going to get stripped down and repainted anyway so I don't need to be carefull with that. In the first picture you can sort of see the Wiley Coyote sticker someone put on it then painted over it so a repaint was in it's future anyway.

The interior is clean and from what I can see rust free so I wouldn't have gotten rid of it anyway. I think I'll pop the tank off after some riding this weekend and drain it and give the stick pull a try. Thanks. I'll post some after pictures if it works or if I end up needing to get someone with more skill than guts to screw up his own stuff (me).