Paintless Dent Repair on fuel tank

[jas67]

My wife dropped something on my V7 Racer's fuel tank 
It now has 3 small dents on the top, about the size of moderate to heavy hail damage dents.
It's nothing major, but, will bug me.

She, of course played the crying card when she told me, so, how can I be mad, right?
I mean, if I dented her brand new car, she'd be justifiably pissed, and I'd have to fix it.

She actually priced out a replacement fuel tank before telling me, but at around $1,000, I can't really justify replacing the tank for these small dents, esp, since  I could actually cover them up by putting the leather strap back on.   I removed the leather strap, because I don't care for the look, and it keeps me form using my small magnetic tank bag that has two of it's four magnets along the center line of the tank.

So, on to my question.    Has anyone here had any experience with paintless dent removal of fuel tanks?   Good results?  Cost?    Shop recommendations in Central PA (Harrisburg/York/Lancaster/Lebanon area)?

[ponti_33609]

or......you can by my "new" Verde Legnano tank for half the cost of the ugly chrome ones   

[RinkRat II]

  Sometimes on small dents that are well cupped and not pointed dents I've been succesful using Dry Ice. It will shrink the metal and the dent will "pop". work in a circular motion from the area around the dents  and then place the ice on top of the dent for a few seconds, should do the trick. Wear welding gloves when working with Dry Ice.  My $.02

                  Paul B

[TwoEds]

There are many Paintless Dent repair companies that provide service for the car and motorcycle dealerships. A friend in VA has a successful business doing this. I would suggest you contact any of the Harley dealership service departments for a recommendation. Their tanks and fenders are also expensive and customers many times prefer the dent repair vs. replacement. Good luck!

[Guzzi Gal]

  Sometimes on small dents that are well cupped and not pointed dents I've been succesful using Dry Ice. It will shrink the metal and the dent will "pop". work in a circular motion from the area around the dents  and then place the ice on top of the dent for a few seconds, should do the trick. Wear welding gloves when working with Dry Ice.  My $.02

                  Paul B

Seriously?  That’s just Cool!  Pun not intended, but it works.

[Kev m]

Dam Jay, did she do that while waxing that new Honda in the attached garage (I saw the FB pics of that, looks pretty good, for a Honda, don't tell her I said that).

or......you can by my "new" Verde Legnano tank for half the cost of the ugly chrome ones   

As nice as the Legnano tank is, wasn't that only available in plastic and about half the size (exaggeration) of Jay's metal tank? Or is that another metal one?

Jay, you know me, I HATE chrome - I say take the opportunity to buy a black one! (Unless that green one is metal).

[Ncdan]

I have used the dint repair guys and on the right type of dint or PING they can work miracles. A good one will tell you up front what you can expect for your money if you decide to let him work the boo boo. Good luck!

[malik]

Should the repairs not work out as well as you can live with, the Guzzi tank bag comes with a bra that covers a wide strip down the top of the tank. Easy on & off, looks pretty good, the bag itself is good - one of the best around, but the rain cover is best replaced with a vinyl effort from an auto trimmer. Bagster make a full tank bra to which can be attached a few different bags, but then there's no chrome in sight at all.

[Kiwi Dave]

Should the repairs not work out as well as you can live with, the Guzzi tank bag comes with a bra that covers a wide strip down the top of the tank. Easy on & off, looks pretty good, the bag itself is good - one of the best around, but the rain cover is best replaced with a vinyl effort from an auto trimmer. Bagster make a full tank bra to which can be attached a few different bags, but then there's no chrome in sight at all.

I've got one for a CARC model that covers the whole tank.  It came with a Breva 1100 I purchased, I've never used it.  Anyone interested, pm me.

[Perazzimx14]

NSFW:

After seeing this video on YouTube I can't imagine removing a dent any other way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m94Zn4cVr90

[Sasquatch Jim]

 I have never seen a dent removed with a suction based toy before.  What else can the girls do with it

[Ncdan]

I have never seen a dent removed with a suction based toy before.  What else can the girls do with it

It’s not a suction based system Jiim. They use a special glue and special tools to lift the dint out while they use a tool to work the dint from the other side as inside the tank. It works extremely well on minor dints and pings. I watched a gentleman literally make a serious dint completely disappear from a 60k BMW car right before my eyes and you could not find where it was. He charged me 50 bucks and it was well worth the money.

[John Ulrich]

Newer tanks are thinner and this works.  My old Ambo tank would not even wiggle when the tech put full pressure on it.  He was so confident since he works at HD dealerships weekly.

[Perazzimx14]

I have never seen a dent removed with a suction based toy before.  What else can the girls do with it

I'll have to look and see if there are any sites dedicated to this kind of tomfoolery.

[jas67]

Should the repairs not work out as well as you can live with, the Guzzi tank bag comes with a bra that covers a wide strip down the top of the tank. Easy on & off, looks pretty good, the bag itself is good - one of the best around, but the rain cover is best replaced with a vinyl effort from an auto trimmer. Bagster make a full tank bra to which can be attached a few different bags, but then there's no chrome in sight at all.

Seriously?   I ask for a solution to repair (as in restore to the way it was before the damage), and you suggest just putting a bag or bra over it?   I already stated that I "could" cover it up by putting the stupid leather strap back on, which I removed because I didn't want it there covering the tank.

or......you can by my "new" Verde Legnano tank for half the cost of the ugly chrome ones   

For that to work, I'd need to paint the fairing and side panels to match; not looking to invest that sort of money.    I had actually considered doing that when I bought the Record fairing, and even bought a matte-black Stone tank from AF1 when they were blowing them out for $400, but, unlike many here, I kind of like the chrome, and tend to like to keep my bikes original.   I also only occasionally use a tank bag, and like being able to use a magnetic tank bag w/o fear of scratching up paint.

Dam Jay, did she do that while waxing that new Honda in the attached garage (I saw the FB pics of that, looks pretty good, for a Honda, don't tell her I said that).

Yes, while she was waxing the car, and was distracted by a MINI poster that was rolled up lying on the workbench (been there for years, don't use the workbench in the smaller attached garage), and decided to hang it up on the wall under the shelf over the V7R.  The item that fell is a small folding camp table in a drawstring bag.    She caught her hand on string holding the poster up and the table fell (was likely not up there securely). 

Needless to say, all the crap is coming off that shelf and going somewhere else, and the shelf is coming down as well.

As nice as the Legnano tank is, wasn't that only available in plastic and about half the size (exaggeration) of Jay's metal tank? Or is that another metal one?

Jay, you know me, I HATE chrome - I say take the opportunity to buy a black one! (Unless that green one is metal).

Kev, you're thinking of the Cafe Classic circa 2010.  Guzzi did a "Verde Legnano Special Racer" to blow out the last of the V7-I racers when the V7II came out.  Those had a metal tank.

  Sometimes on small dents that are well cupped and not pointed dents I've been succesful using Dry Ice. It will shrink the metal and the dent will "pop". work in a circular motion from the area around the dents  and then place the ice on top of the dent for a few seconds, should do the trick. Wear welding gloves when working with Dry Ice.  My $.02

                  Paul B

Hmmm, might have to try this.   There is a place not far from my house that sells dry ice.   I usually buy some every year at Halloween for some special effects stuff anyway.

[Kev m]

Take it easy on Malik, the Bagster tank bra is a unique idea.

That said - no seriously, do the Leganaognoww (GREEN) tank - and yes, paint the fairing, fenders and sidecovers).

It will be GORGEOUS.

It will be one of a kind!

DO IT!!!!!


I'll buy it from you, at a huge loss to you, but I'll do that, cause I'm that kind of guy.

Seriously

What are you waiting for -  TAKE MY MONEY - TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!


Do it.

 

[ponti_33609]

Dam Jay, did she do that while waxing that new Honda in the attached garage (I saw the FB pics of that, looks pretty good, for a Honda, don't tell her I said that).

As nice as the Legnano tank is, wasn't that only available in plastic and about half the size (exaggeration) of Jay's metal tank? Or is that another metal one?

Jay, you know me, I HATE chrome - I say take the opportunity to buy a black one! (Unless that green one is metal).

Nope - it's a metal tank just like the chrome.  I had visions of changing as I really love the look.  I never did and hate having it hang around.  I had a new chrome tank too that I sold a while back.

I know Jay mentioned keeping original but the green cam with the red frame too, just for MY2015 as a V7 while the rest of 2015 were V7II's.

Then he would have the original tank and the green.  :>

[Kev m]

Judging from the 150 text messages ranting about how he doesn't want green, I'm guessing it's never gonna happen.

Too bad, I think it would be gorgeous!

[ponti_33609]

Judging from the 150 text messages ranting about how he doesn't want green, I'm guessing it's never gonna happen.

Too bad, I think it would be gorgeous!

Yeah, and I may end up keeping too..my wife waxes her car too.  :>........just typically hate leaving things of value hanging around waiting for something "bad" to happen to it.....

[jas67]

Judging from the 150 text messages ranting about how he doesn't want green, I'm guessing it's never gonna happen.

Too bad, I think it would be gorgeous!

150?  Wow, you don't exaggerate at all do you 

The green might look great, or, after pouring a ton more money into a bike that is already worth less than half what I have into it, I might not be so thrilled with it, and then I'll be out even more money.    Remember, this is the bike that I keep going back and forth between wanting to sell, and wanting to keep forever.

I guess I'm not in love with the green enough to want to pour a lot of money into doing it.      Plus, I'd still have to get the fairing painted to match, and maybe side covers too.   I've considered painting the black tank I have silver to match the fairing, but, I'm not a huge fan of matte finishes, so, then I'm back at painting the fairing again (gloss silver).   But, again, still don't want to spend the money on paint.  It's not just not wanting to spend the money, but, I don't have the money to spend right now -- other priorities are looming.  What money I do have for bikes will be doing towards paying for the Eldorado motor rebuild (which is now done -- that'll be another thread).

So, full circle back around to trying to repair the dents and keep it stock.     I think I'll start with trying the dry-ice thing, because it's cheap, and what can it hurt.

[Kev m]

150?  Wow, you don't exaggerate at all do you 

You do know that just about every single word comes through in a separate text from you... my phone sounds like firecrackers every time you text and Jenn just looks at me and says "Jay, huh?" 

[jas67]

 

You do know that just about every single word comes through in a separate text from you... my phone sounds like firecrackers every time you text and Jenn just looks at me and says "Jay, huh?" 

Sounds like an Androud vs iPhone or AT&T vs Verizon problem.  I thought that was remedied a while back.  I guess not. 

[bigbikerrick]

Does the chrome tank have an access  panel on the bottom for the fuel pump, etc?  if it does, that can be used by a PDR guy to push out the dents from the inside. If he has to access it through the gas fill hole, its very difficult. I have a friend that used to be in the PDR business, and we discussed this before.
I have removed "soft" dents from thinner gauge gas tanks using a glue puller, but the thicker gauge tanks such as HD tanks, are tough. I once pulled a baseball sized dent from the top of a friends suzuki bandit 1200 tank, and it came out almost perfect.
Rick.

[jas67]

Does the chrome tank have an access  panel on the bottom for the fuel pump, etc?  if it does, that can be used by a PDR guy to push out the dents from the inside. If he has to access it through the gas fill hole, its very difficult. I have a friend that used to be in the PDR business, and we discussed this before....

It does!

In another month or so, I'll be done riding this one for the season, then I'll drain the fuel, pull the tank and take it to a PDR shop or two and see what they can do.

[Air-Cooled]

You're not going to have to pull the tank. I've had dents taken out on my truck in areas where there was no access to push from the inside. They will glue on a little plunger that looks like a golf tee. Then use a snap device. Only one snap, then they reglue it and snap again. They pull the dent out in increments until it is a barely perceptible dome. Then they carefully tap the dent back in with plastic punches.

[DorsetBlue]

You're not going to have to pull the tank. I've had dents taken out on my truck in areas where there was no access to push from the inside. They will glue on a little plunger that looks like a golf tee. Then use a snap device. Only one snap, then they reglue it and snap again. They pull the dent out in increments until it is a barely perceptible dome. Then they carefully tap the dent back in with plastic punches.

I used one of these systems to pull most of a big dent out of my GSXR fuel tank (Mini Moto engine fell on it from the Garage rafters).  They work pretty well but it can take several goes.

[jas67]

I used one of these systems to pull most of a big dent out of my GSXR fuel tank (Mini Moto engine fell on it from the Garage rafters).  They work pretty well but it can take several goes.

Damn!  You're lucky that engine didn't fall on your head!