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Repairing dented tank...v this is a good one

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  #21  
Old 11-14-2016, 09:05 PM
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Look at that real good guys, you're not fixing that.
 
  #22  
Old 11-14-2016, 09:10 PM
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Originally Posted by tehan2
have you tried to see if you can pop it with dry ice? And then some heat

with safety gloves put dry ice on the dent, let it sit to make the tank area cold, then remove and hit with a heat gun.

Sometimes you get lucky and the shrink/expand pops it a little at a time.

Another option, although a bit riskier is to make the tank airtight and pressurize it with air
lmao!!!
 
  #23  
Old 11-15-2016, 07:30 AM
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I pulled the dents out of my 01 tanks (or at least 99.5% of them).

Your picture does not show how tight the edge of the dents is......
With that said you have a couple options.

You can try using a bar and it may work, if you go that route be careful you don't cause more damage. Take your time and you may have to make your own bars to make it work.
Best way is to use a puller with the weld on tabs or rods.
Either the old style slider or the newer style ones

If the edge of the dent is pinched to much I would heat it up while pulling the dent so it has a better chance of not cracking.
 
  #24  
Old 11-15-2016, 11:30 AM
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A friend with an '05 Fatboy had a dent closer to the seat than yours from a bicycle falling from the ceiling. He pulled the pump cover off and shoved a football in and inflated it. It took out quite a bit of the dent, but it still needs bodywork.
 
  #25  
Old 11-15-2016, 12:07 PM
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Keep in mind that if you buy an aftermarket tank it may very well have to be sealed and pressure tested. My 2002 Fat Boy sheet metal is at the painter now. Inside of the tank was bad so I got an aftermarket from J&P.
 
  #26  
Old 11-15-2016, 12:36 PM
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I don't think that is ever going to be able to be fixed since the filler is part of the dent, otherwise you could get it real close with filler.

Other than the obvious fix of replacing the tank, the only thing I can think of to save money would be to convert to a standard RG/SG/UG tank with the filler in the center. You'd need a new center panel as well, however going this route opens up the door to many more used tanks out there. Or, you could try to find a Road King tank and a great body shop to close off the left gauge. Or, thinking out loud, you could go the road king tank route and put a different gauge on the tank where the road king fuel gauge is, or use the road king fuel gauge and put a different gauge in the fairing.
 
  #27  
Old 11-15-2016, 12:39 PM
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Been a body man for 40 years. That dent has bent the metal in a way that can't be popped out. Due to the thickness of the metal, it has stretched the bent section,and it will require metal work and filler. Some thin pieces of metal can be popped out or pulled out with the hot glue method. Some of these paintless dent places have those pry bars that can get in there and push it up but I am afraid the paint will flake off when the metal shrinks again. You would be better off waiting and hoping that someone will custom their bike and sell the take off tank in your color for a few hundo's
 
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  #28  
Old 11-15-2016, 02:51 PM
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Since you are going to repaint anyway, why not use those weld on 'nails' and a dent puller? Heat the edge if needed. A good body man can get it pretty close so you will only need a skim coat of filler and then prime and paint.
 
  #29  
Old 11-15-2016, 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Magnut1
Been a body man for 40 years. That dent has bent the metal in a way that can't be popped out. Due to the thickness of the metal, it has stretched the bent section,and it will require metal work and filler. Some thin pieces of metal can be popped out or pulled out with the hot glue method. Some of these paintless dent places have those pry bars that can get in there and push it up but I am afraid the paint will flake off when the metal shrinks again. You would be better off waiting and hoping that someone will custom their bike and sell the take off tank in your color for a few hundo's

bikes getting a new color overall. paint on the tank is of no concern to me.
 
  #30  
Old 11-15-2016, 08:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Joe12RK
Since you are going to repaint anyway, why not use those weld on 'nails' and a dent puller? Heat the edge if needed. A good body man can get it pretty close so you will only need a skim coat of filler and then prime and paint.

I'm thinking it's going to a professional painter anyways, if I can find one that won't want to make his week, let them make the call. I had 1 quote for painting a full set of bodywork without damage repair for $2400.
 


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