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Gas Tank Dent Repair Advise Please

3K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  notacop 
#1 ·
The other day I dropped my flawless 2006 Wee and managed to push my knee into the tank resulting in a tennis ball shaped dent. It's not too deep and didn't damage the paint. The bike was at a standstill and wasn't on the sidestand properly when it went down (not the first time I've done this, but the others were with my old Vee).

I read through all the threads I could find and there were lots of good suggestions on how one might fix a dent but I couldn't find anyone who actually went through with a repair. I would appreciate advise from someone who actually had a repair made to the Vee Strom tank - what method did they use for the repair and how good were the results?
 
#3 ·
The paintless repair is using suction cups and levering them away, pulling the dent out. I had a tank with a fairly big dent, I adapted fitting to use an air hose on it and pressurize the tank. I had to bolt straps to the mounts to keep the tank from spreading but it made the dent pop out with a "Boink" and mot bettah!
That was on a 1955 Ariel with two taps. How you'd seal a new tank with multiple hoses and such, I dunno.
I put a little ding in the top of the Wee tank in a crash but it's so small I'm not gonna worry about it.
 
#4 ·
Methods

There must be several methods. The local guy here uses a series of levers with spoon-like ends, massaging the dents from the inside out but doesn't use suction cups. He lights the exterior with floodlights, sights along the surface and occasionally taps from the outside too as he rubs out the dents with various little levers. When he's all done you can't see a thing. He claims he can remove dents in anything that has back-side access and a way to apply leverage.
 
#5 ·
There are several methods that I've been told about.
One is to take the tank off and empty it, then fill it with water and put it in the freezer.
One place (Eastwood company I think) makes a tool that is a variation on the suction cup method, uses super glue and another tool that you screw down to pull the suction cup, and hopefully the dent.
The most drastic method requires repaint, it involves spot welding a pin in the dent and using a puller to get it out.
If one of the paintless dent puller guys could do it I would let one of them try it because it sounds like far and away the least hassle.
 
#7 ·
"One is to take the tank off and empty it, then fill it with water and put it in the freezer."

Don't tell the wife about using the freezer this way.
Another mention the hot/cold. I have heard of guys heating a surface and then using icy cold towels to quickly cool it to shrink body panels. Gotta be careful not to cook the paint!
 
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