umm tank dent...

[tucsondude]

 


Is this even repairable?

Oh i am planning on repainting the bike in a few weeks, so not sure what to do., Cracked paint was like that when i bought it, and the tank was a little deformed before.

Please Don't even ask how it happened

Thanks

[mister]

Rules are rules...

Rule # 1: Pic or it didn't happen

Rule #2: Always reveal how it happened. It's not to belittle you, but for all of us to Learn.

So.... how did it happen? Forget to put the side stand down at the gas station? Didn't put it on the center stand properly and it rolled forward and whoopsy? Backed a truck onto it?

Michael

[mitch.lax]

You could repair it, but it'd be difficult to get the shape back. Those cool grooves in the tank will be difficult to reshape with filler.

Might just be worth getting another.

[tt_four]

Haha, don't sit on your gas tank!

[the mole]

That looks like a candidate for cutting a disc out of the bottom, bashing the dent from the inside and welding up again. I need to do the same!

[jeremy_nash]

take a rubber mallet to the rest of it, and call it a stunter!!  we all know that stunting is cool!!

[DoD#i]

If the tank is not all rusted to heck and needing replaced for functional reasons, learn the wonders of the Bondo Artiste and you can just make that like it never even happened. Slap some on, sand it down, repeat. When you hit it with a coat of primer and can't tell it was dented, you are done. If you can tell, you need to do more filling and sanding. Either rough up or remove the paint in the dented area first. After the major filling, there are other products you can switch to for the smaller work. I would not waste too much effort trying to push the dent back out - that often causes more problems than it solves.

Looks like an OK tutorial, and saves me the bother of typing: (but too many pages/ads, really)
http://autorepair.about.com/od/fixityourself/ss/bondo.htm

For the more adventurous:
http://hacknmod.com/hack/the-power-of-bondo-a-comprehensive-tutorial/

[The Buddha]

I actually will almost guarantee it will be back to original shape if I undented it.

Cut out a big hole under it, put in a properly shaped block and hammer away. Then weld back.

Your dent looks like it needs a bag of lead shot, which I have, taped to a mallet head and punch straight down.

Cool.
Buddha.

[ineedanap]

You don't have to fix it.  Just tell everyone you're a stunter and modified the tank on purpose for "high chairs".  

[gregvhen]

That would take a sh*t load of bondo.  If your not up to buying a new one, you gotta cut out a hole in the bottom and bang it back from the underside. Which will be difficult to get it back to original shape.  If you DO buy a new tank, and need to get rid of that one, PM me cause mines really rusty, and Im still young engouhg to break all my bones do tank spreaders down the high way.   

[BaltimoreGS]

What about a stud welder and slide hammer?

-Jessie

[The Buddha]

The dent pullers, well they would leave a hole ... or some blemish where you can see it. It could be ground if you're lucky, I have had it break a small pepper corn sized hole in it. Of course you can weld it back ... I dunno, I'd rather not put holes in the top where its visible. May be possible to get it all out and no extra problems put in.
You'd prolly spend more that way though.
Cut and weld is 50 bucks @ my welder.
The hammering of course is free ... damn Idiots who stiff me ... take that you dent - pow ... yea ... you get the idea.

Cool.
Buddha.

[gregvhen]

try throwing if the roof a couple times and say its a rock themed tank.

[DoD#i]

Unless you're all hepped up about a pint of space in the tank, the oh my goodness-load of bondo is not a problem, and the simplest approach. The problem with pounding it out is that the metal stretches when it bends, and does not like to shrink when you bend it back, so it wrinkles up worse. If you really want to push the dent out, you can do it without cutting any holes by using a hook-shaped tool fit though the gas fill opening, or using a rod/bar though the petcock opening. But it won't mean you'll get a repair that looks better - it will just cost you a certain amount of time and save 79 cents worth of Bondo - unless you push one of the new peaks up too far, and then you'll have to beat that back down, and somewhere in there the tank will crack...

[The Buddha]

The vibrations I suspect will get that bondo to come loose. Bondo works best on bikes when its used in 1/4 inch or less depths and maybe 1-2 inch diamter.
Anyway I have had bondo in my truck in one place for 10+ years. No problem, but on bikes I have had it misbehave a lot.
Cool.
Buddha.

[gregvhen]

Itd be pretty difficult to bend it back with a hook tool. the hole in the bottom is the better choice for bending it back. Plus youll get a look at how the inside is doing, if its rusty, dirty, or clean. and welding it back isnt very hard or expensive if you have a welder.

[tucsondude]

I have a friend going to school to be a welder, so ill ask him to help me out with the bottom$$. It is way to big to just bondo over, and i just bought a magnetic tank bag.

every week day it doesnt run costs me $7 in parking, and an extra hour out of my day. I wouldn't care about the tank but i want/need to repaint the bike, have a friend that will do it for free if i buy the materials.

the tank was already a little deformed as the bike is on at least its 3rd odometer, as long as it is not obvious i would be happy.

thanks everyone, i feel a little better.

[yamahonkawazuki]

Rules are rules...

Rule # 1: Pic or it didn't happen

Rule #2: Always reveal how it happened. It's not to belittle you, but for all of us to Learn.

So.... how did it happen? Forget to put the side stand down at the gas station? Didn't put it on the center stand properly and it rolled forward and whoopsy? Backed a truck onto it?

Michael

Or gluteus maximus On tankus, aka stunting?

[The Buddha]

I have a friend going to school to be a welder, so ill ask him to help me out with the bottom$$. It is way to big to just bondo over, and i just bought a magnetic tank bag.

every week day it doesnt run costs me $7 in parking, and an extra hour out of my day. I wouldn't care about the tank but i want/need to repaint the bike, have a friend that will do it for free if i buy the materials.

the tank was already a little deformed as the bike is on at least its 3rd odometer, as long as it is not obvious i would be happy.

thanks everyone, i feel a little better.

Find a friend in construction and a small stick of dynamite inside it could just bump it out ... or atleast give it extra volume ...
Yea $7 parking ... and best of all, I get to park in my building, $7 will get you parking in the ghetto in my town. My building is 10 a day if you got monthly. More like 20 if you dont ... booya, I get it free.
Cool.
Buddha.

[cyberdork]

Start a rat rod bike