Raw tank dent repair (your thoughts?)

shovelcowboy

shovelcowboy

Well-Known Member
Calendar Participant
Probably not many of you have had to deal with this problem but maybe someone has an idea that I haven't thought of.

The tank that came with my K-9 project bike I bought from 'shovelheadkicker' has some minor dents in it. Probably from being dropped. They are small sort of like a car side would get from another car door. One is on the side and two are on the top.

I have thought of Bondo (easy fill) but I don't want any faulty adhesion problem after paint. Then I have thought of consulting one of these 'ding' paintless repair guys to see if they have some kind of 'industrial-strength' suction cup that they could use to pull them out OR some way to get a tool inside the tank to beat them out (a dent opposite the bung could be done this way but mine aren't in that area). Then I have thought about sealing the tank except for a valve stem and try to use my compressor to 'pressure the dents out but I would worry about busting a seam out or worse, blowing the tank up!

What do you guys think?

Thanks, Shovelcowboy
 
Moespeeds

Moespeeds

Well-Known Member
Dont use your compressor, just like 8-10 PSI will burst or deform the tank. Paintless repair guy can usually get in there but it will still need bondo to be perfect. I'd bondo it. There are other, better products out there. An epoxy based filler will adhere better, and doesn't shrink. Look for a product called "superfill", I used to get it from Aviation supply companies. Aircraft Spruce comes to mind, I'll try to find you a link.
 
Moespeeds

Moespeeds

Well-Known Member
Here you go:

SUPER FIL from Aircraft Spruce

More expensive than Bondo, but this stuff is the shit. Bondo is Polyester based and shrinks when it cures, it also can't be applied too thick and if you put too much or too little red sauce, you could have trouble down the road. Epoxy avoids all these problems, but at 4x the cost.
 
T

TheDeadOne

Banned
Prepsall Cleaner on bare tank, Micro Lite filler from napa, Epoxy "scratch filling" Primer, Spot filler, Epoxy Primer, wet sand, and Paint! Wha-Laa! :2thumbs:

Easy!

Ask Ed, I bet he does something very similar. :2thumbs:

:D:cheers:
 
V

Vegas

Well-Known Member
The less filler the better. Lots of vibration and temperature contrasts in a gas tank on a bike. I'd ask air brush Ed. :D
 
airbrush-ed

airbrush-ed

kustompaintbyed.com
If they are deep, I'd take it to a body shop and have them use a stud puller on it. It welds a metal pin to the tank, and then uses a slide hammer to pull out the dent. You will have to wash out the tank REALLY good (if it has ever held gas) or you will have one nervous body guy on your hands! If it has never held gas, no worries. Just put some good grinder marks all over the part before you do anything. And once you grind everything, pull your dents out, wipe everything down with laquer thinner on a lint free rag, compressed air to dry, do your body work, spray a good bare metal epoxy sealer, and primer away with your high build primer. One note to remember, wear rubber gloves during the Entire process - at least until you get it in primer. Good luck!
 
erldawg

erldawg

Guru
:iagree: With airbrush-ed !

Although I have heard of the painless repair guys using dry ice to remove dents but not sure if it works.... It would not hurt to call and ask..
 
airbrush-ed

airbrush-ed

kustompaintbyed.com
I dought the dry ice trick would work. I've seen it used on car sheet metal, and it warped like crazy! The metal in a motorcycle tank is thicker, and has more compound curves, so I dought it. Besides, you might cause more problems - like breaking a weld seam.
And personally, I wouldn't waste my time with a paintless repair guy. You're going to have to paint it anyway, so why pay two different shops to work on it?
 
W

woodbutcher

Mr. Old Fart member #145
Staff member
airbrush-ed said:
I dought the dry ice trick would work. I've seen it used on car sheet metal, and it warped like crazy! The metal in a motorcycle tank is thicker, and has more compound curves, so I dought it. Besides, you might cause more problems - like breaking a weld seam.
And personally, I wouldn't waste my time with a paintless repair guy. You're going to have to paint it anyway, so why pay two different shops to work on it?
Click to expand...
:cheers: just throwing ideas out i had heard of in the past. you're in the biz so i would trust your judgment on this. a broken weld would surely be a bad thing. :cheers:
 
Moespeeds

Moespeeds

Well-Known Member
I was putting apes on a bike with brand new paint and dropped them, denting the top of the tank. It wasn't even outa the paint booth 3 days. I tried the heat/freeze thing but it didn't work for shit. Paintless guy got it for $120 and it looks perfect. You can spot the dent if you know where it is, but it looks damn good.
 
shovelcowboy

shovelcowboy

Well-Known Member
Calendar Participant
Man this site is the absolute "TITS"! Ask for help and ya'all come running! Brothers, you don't know how much I appreciate it. Especially when a lot of you have had experience and are willing to share it with me. And of course thanks to Ed for his input (with his credentials he should be charging me for it)!

Anyway I thought I would do what I should have done in the very beginning and that is show you some pics (just took them) so you would know exactly what I'm talking about and wanting to do. I didn't even know about the slide hammer/weld thing and I certainly didn't know about the different types of fillers and associated products.

So now I guess I would ask if these dent's need to be knocked out or if they should just be filled (none are over an eighth inch deep and probably more like a sixteenth).

Thanks, Shovelcowboy

Top 2 dents



Side dent



side dent depth

 
airbrush-ed

airbrush-ed

kustompaintbyed.com
Yes, get them pulled out, even if it's just a little. That way less filler will be needed. Then while you're doing your body work down the center seam, just skim your dents as well, and block everything at once.
 
seatmaker

seatmaker

Well-Known Member
I remember Beezer telling me back in the day they use to throw a firecracker in the tank. Might want to try it on an old tank first.
 
07bigdog

07bigdog

07BIGDOG
Ken, you are better to pull out the dents now while the tank is off and repair properly. If you don't, you will regret it later.
 
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