I picked up a 2002 M400 just over a week ago I got it cheap as it had been dropped I've managed to replace all the damaged parts except the tank which has rather a large dent! I've tried a few places locally here in Perth, Western Australia but have been told "the metal is too thick and strong to do with my tools" & "sorry inner baffles won't allow it to pop out"
So, any advise??????
Can it be done? How can I do it myself? Can anyone recommend anyone in Perth that could do it? Do I give up and use another tank?
I'm not after a prefect result as it will need repainting anyway!
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s24/martyscott717/13e5a613aa6b12f552c16f85e446012e_zps83814f32.jpg)
They're correct...the shape makes it impossible to do conventionally.
I use this...
(http://ep.yimg.com/ay/rodi/motorguard-magna-spot-1500-professional-stud-welder-kit-3.png)
It's called a stud welder and it allows pulling from the outside without drilling holes and using a more common screw type slide hammer.
Quote from: ducpainter on January 27, 2015, 06:24:13 AM
They're correct...the shape makes it impossible to do conventionally.
I use this...
(http://ep.yimg.com/ay/rodi/motorguard-magna-spot-1500-professional-stud-welder-kit-3.png)
It's called a stud welder and it allows pulling from the outside without drilling holes and using a more common screw type slide hammer.
Oooo..... What do they retail for?..
About $400 US...that one is fairly heavy duty. Google Motor Guard stud welders
There are cheaper ones, but any way you cut it not really a one use tool.
You still need to be careful. You can pull the stud off along with the tank metal resulting in a hole that needs to be welded.
Cheers DP I've been looking on fleaBay they all seem to come from the states! The 110 volts is no good here in Australia! (240 volts). I'll keep looking [coffee]
I saw a version of this on the TV program "Wheeler Dealers" a while back. I don't believe that he gave a brand name butt it used a little more gentle puller than a slide hammer. They were doing it in England so Straya might have something somewhere in the country.
Quote from: SpikeC on January 27, 2015, 10:28:53 AM
I saw a version of this on the TV program "Wheeler Dealers" a while back. I don't believe that he gave a brand name butt it used a little more gentle puller than a slide hammer. They were doing it in England so Straya might have something somewhere in the country.
Just because the hammer slides...
doesn't mean you have to use it that way. ;)
At 400$ US for the tools, just buy another second hand tank...
http://www.harborfreight.com/stud-welder-dent-repair-kit-98357.html (http://www.harborfreight.com/stud-welder-dent-repair-kit-98357.html)
mine was $100 7 years ago. still works great.
Quote from: ducatiz on January 27, 2015, 11:49:19 AM
http://www.harborfreight.com/stud-welder-dent-repair-kit-98357.html (http://www.harborfreight.com/stud-welder-dent-repair-kit-98357.html)
mine was $100 7 years ago. still works great.
Still not going to help him if he needs 240V.
Tank dents are manly. Just throw a sticker over 'em.
240V *and* 50 Hz in Oz. :-\
These guys can help in converting your power to something compatible:
http://www.220-electronics.com/diamond-series-voltage-converters-stabilizers.html (http://www.220-electronics.com/diamond-series-voltage-converters-stabilizers.html)
That Harbor Fright stud welder says 40 amp peak, at 120V that's 4800W.
But it's only for 1 second.
My shop-mate has a stud welder, and it doesn't seem to cause problems with our dodgy electrical system.
But.... have a chat with your favorite local Sparky to choose which one is best.
I've no idea how tolerant those converters are to short-term loads like that.
I have seen it done with compressed air ...seal all openings pump in air till it pops out .
Now I have tried it but it was on a car gas tank , not a bike ...it did work but the tank puffed up quite a bit kind of un-nerving
Compressed air is not a good plan on a moto tank.
Quote from: monsta on January 27, 2015, 11:24:08 AM
At 400$ US for the tools, just buy another second hand tank...
...and miss out on an excuse to buy more tools! I have two spare tanks it's more the challenge and opportunity to learn ;D
In the absence of an electric stud welding machine I wonder if it would be practical for a skilled operator (everyone in Australia is skilled, right?) to manually weld studs to the tank with an oxyacetylene torch?
I didn't like the little collet style stud gripper on my slide hammer so I adapted a pair of vice-grip pliers to the end of the slide shaft. Works good and provides a solid grip and controlled release.
About compressed air, there's a lot of surface area in a tank and it doesn't take much air pressure to build up enough force to really distort the tank. I pretty much destroyed an old Triumph tank trying to un-dent it with compressed air. It sort of suddenly and unexpectedly unfolded like a butterfly wing.
Your idea would work Bob. The important point is to use a very low heat welding method so as not to harden too large of an area during the welding.
If you remember Norm that used to fix tanks would tig weld a pin to the tank and use a vise grip type puller arrangement.
I was able to tap out a dent not much smaller than that from the inside. Actually it was more like I pushed it out.
It's still visible but only if you look for it. The rest of the tank was like new and gorgeous and the price was a steal so I lived with it.
M620ie tank. That metal did not put up any resistance. See if you can reach it with a wooden tool handle after removing the flange.
Every tank I've ever encountered that had the "compressed air" trick done to it was a result of a jackass CAR painter trying to dick with a moto tank, dropping it or doing something else to it then trying to deceive the customer afterwards. They usually deform the entire tank and it doesn't mount properly afterwards.
Fill it with water and freeze it.
Ice pushes in all directions like air.
+1 Lars [thumbsup] Fill with water make sure there is no air in the tank seal all openings and Freeze it, you may have to do it several times but it should eventually come out. Used this on silencers a lot. Don't expect it to come out in one hit....Its Free and is unlikely to cause any damage to the tank.
I'd go for the manual style dent remover where you drill a small hole. Pop it out and have the hole welded.
Another option is body filler. But the dent might be too deep for that.
I got a mate who claimed to be a whizz with a welder to try the tack weld studs and then pull on them, but he had the heat set too high and burnt a bloody great hole in the tank! [bang]
Quote from: MonsterMadMarty on February 20, 2015, 06:55:07 AM
I got a mate who claimed to be a whizz with a welder to try the tack weld studs and then pull on them, but he had the heat set too high and burnt a bloody great hole in the tank! [bang]
Had the same thing happen to one of mine. The difference is that it was done by a reputable body shop! Sucks when there are no motorcycle painters locally. When I asked, he assured me he would use a stud gun. Looking at the damage, it was apparent he had tried migging the studs.
Quote from: Yogi on February 15, 2015, 11:42:33 PM
+1 Lars [thumbsup] Fill with water make sure there is no air in the tank seal all openings and Freeze it, you may have to do it several times but it should eventually come out. Used this on silencers a lot. Don't expect it to come out in one hit....Its Free and is unlikely to cause any damage to the tank.
Have you actually done this on a tank? I know it works on pipes, but there's a lot more surface area and volume in a tank. Expanding water as it freezes is almost an unstoppable force and it doesn't care if it's pushing against a dent or against the rest of the tank. I'm pretty sure it will distort a tank.
It won't expand enough in one hit which is why you have to do it several times. So long as the dent has no crease it should pop before it distorts the tank. Your other options have all been suggested.
Quote from: Blackout on January 27, 2015, 11:56:07 AM
Tank dents are manly. Just throw a sticker over 'em.
That's what I did. It's a smaller dent, but it worked for me.
(http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn168/the_journeyman/Molly/DSC_0004-1200.jpg)
JM
A variation on the stud puller is;
In car repair repair shops, the newer spot welding machines have a similar function where the slide hammer attatchment has a tip that actually tempararily welds to bare metal, slide the hammer, twist to break the weld and keep repeating around the dent until it's pulled as much as you can. This method dosn't leave holes.
The one where i work is made by car-o-liner.
Quote from: the_Journeyman on February 25, 2015, 10:02:41 AM
That's what I did. It's a smaller dent, but it worked for me.
(http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn168/the_journeyman/Molly/DSC_0004-1200.jpg)
JM
[thumbsup]