Does anyone have experience as to the best way to remove a dent from the fuel tank? I'm not sure how well you can tell from my picture, but there are no kinks, it was just popped in. It's in the left rear of the tank. Any suggestions as to the best way to pop it out? preferably without cutting into it, but I will if necessary.
Luckily it is a spare tank, but has less rust than my other tank and no hole repairs (which the other one does.)
removing dent from tank?
Use a Rubber!Take a bicycle or motorcycle tube and stuff it in the tank leaving just the valve stem hanging out....
Wrap some straps around the tank to keep it from unfolding and slowly air up the tube..I have used this technique with varing degrees of sucess depending where the dent is... 65 CA77
74 DT360 74 TY250 66 CA95 10 Honda Fury
dentBe very careful using anything involving pressure inside the tank. I ruined a tank ( fortunately not a very good tank) trying to remove a dent by inflating the tank. I thought I had the exterior well banded to keep it from deforming but no such luck. Remember no matter how you do it: the pressure inside any part of the tank is the pressure on every part of the tank.
Mikeyrx "a free motorcycle is a bottomless hole intended solely for money"
66 CB 77 76 BMW R75/6 99 GL 1500 trike 75 & 79 XS 650's I recently dented the top of my CL350 tank. I was actually able to just reach in with my two middle fingers and pop it back out. Like yours it didn't have any kinks and was just within a fingers length from the fuel inlet. Yours looks like it's a bit further aft. You could try using anything with some length to it and see if it will pop back out like mine did as long as the dent didn't stretch the metal.
Good luck! That dent should be just above the petcock hole, so a blunt tipped wooden dowell or the like, inserted from the bottom may pop it.............OR
Something like this...... http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... CH0Q8wIwAA# They are available in various sizes.......OR It should be easy for one of the paintless dent removal (hail damage) people, if you have any of them close by. 66 dream, 78 cb750k, 02fz1, 09 wing
Thanks for the ideas guys!
I've used a similar method on auto bodies- torch and cold water- which shrinks the metal. I'm hoping this isn't stretched, but will keep it in mind. Mike- air pressure was my first thought and I decided against it for the very reason you stated. Too many different contours and no good way to maintain the shape. Jethro- I've tried a couple of bars, but couldn't reach it. I was also concerned about getting a dent at the pressure point, although that wouldn't be too big a problem. Brewsky- The dent is actually on the opposite side from the petcock hole. The suction cup is a good idea. I'll check into the dentless repair people, I know they have them around Sacramento. I'll let you know what worked- or didn't:) 63 CA78
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