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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Beat up fuel tank...Help /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1170352290 Message started by YonuhAdisi on 02/01/07 at 09:51:30 |
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Title: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by YonuhAdisi on 02/01/07 at 09:51:30 Okay, I know a couple of threads had been started about tank dent removal before. But I really need some help here. Can anyone tell me how I could possibly remove these dents? This is how the tank was when I bought the bike. I really would like to get these dents out. I don't mind having to repaint, am going to do that anyhow. http://a895.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/45/l_632e2d7c40c239bdd5520d31f2a9b336.jpg |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by serowbot on 02/01/07 at 10:21:36 Lesson to all. Always use the pillion for 2-up riding. Those dents look like butt-cheeks to me. I'm no help really, I would probably be looking for a salvage tank. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by justin_o_guy on 02/01/07 at 10:41:09 Steveh is partin one out. That's a seriously dented tank. Fixin it will take quite a bit O work. KNowing how isn't just a given. Bondo isn't everybodies "cup O tea". Sandpaper has gotten expensive. I'll bet by the time you figure the time involved & the tools & consumables,( bondo, sandpaper, paint thinner to clean bondo board & putty knife, rags) you would come out ahead if you could land a decent deal on a tank. Oh yea, a 4 pound "KNocker" dent puller or a lighter on, from anwhere. Cheap & junky would get ya thru that project. By drilling 1/8th holes in the dent & screwing the dent puller into it,they have 1/8th sheetmetal screws on the tip, & then sliding the hammer part up the shaft to the handle it hammers the dent out. Then, there is a ridge created by the dent that must be tapped down gently. The ridge will be found all the way around the dent. So, you need a bodyhammer. A light hammer with a wide face, not quite flat. Use it gently, several small light taps in place of one heavy slap. If you find that you MUst repair this tank, I will call you & do all I can to talk ya thru it, if you would like,, Man, that really looks like someone got mad & PUNCHed the tank.. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by EntropyofMe on 02/01/07 at 10:45:13 serowbot wrote:
yeah, and what's that funny smear in between the dents? :o somebody made 2-up riding a lot more fun!! i'm no expert, but it looks creased and it would probably be a pain in the @$$ to fix that. ditto on the salvage tank. good luck. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by justin_o_guy on 02/01/07 at 11:02:52 Just so you don't think fixing it will be a piece O cake. I'll tell ya now the bondo on the last couple O passes will cover in front of the seat all the way across & most of the sides & will go to the filler neck & possibly part way around. IF you go for it & win, thats all good. But unless you have some experience or someone who you can ask for hands on help, I would recommend ya spend the $$$ not on tools & bondo, but on a tank. BUt, my offer stands, if you decide to give it a go I will do what I can to help. I was a body man for 3 years & have straightened some seriously bent stuff. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Jack_650 on 02/01/07 at 12:36:26 I'm in the proccess of adapting a five gallon Harley tank to my savage. It came with a dent in the left side where it had been laid down into a post or some such thing. Either that or it was hit with an 85 mph baseball. At any rate what I did, since it is going to be powdercoated along with the rest of the metalwork, was to drill a few small holes in the tank's dent, screw in a 3/4 in sheetrock screw and then use a claw hammer to pull the dent out a little at a time. Once the dent was close to rounded back to it's original shape, again since it's going to be powdercoated, I used a product called JB Weld to fill it in. Not only does that stuff stick to anything, can be drilled, sanded, is not bothered by gasoline and just about anything else you can think of, it also is about all there is out there that'll stand up to the 400+ degrees of the powdercoat proccess. The small holes in the dent give me the added comfort of giving the weld a better grip as well. I then just sanded down the tank to shape the curve as best I could, starting with 40 grit and then smoothing out with 100. I was also filling in the left hole where the Harley folks put their gas gauge since I didn't want to pay the big gucks for a dummy cap to go there (or the much bigger bucks for the gauge). I made a metal disk to fit in that hole about a half inch from the top and held it in place with three longer screws into the gauge mount in there. Then I just filled the hole to above the top with more of the JB Weld. My only problem was that I tried filling the side dent and the top hole at the same time. The JB Weld takes several hours to set and wants to sag a bit on it's surface. So you have to do a couple of applications to build up the thickness you need. When I get the tank back I challenge anyone to find the dent or the left tank hole, and this is my first attempt at body work of this nature. Oh, and by the way, the tank looks mighty fine on the bike. When everything gets back to me from the coating there will be pix if anyone's interested. It's a pretty easy mod, except for figuring out what to do with that little solenoid that opens the valves a tich during starting. Earlier here I was told that I could do it manually and I think that's the route I'm going. Everything else just gets a little re-routing and will be just fine. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by EntropyofMe on 02/01/07 at 12:51:20 Jack_650 wrote:
5 gallons... man, that's what i'm talkin about. 200 miles before you even have to think about filling up. that'll get you halfway across texas in one shot. i would definitely like to see the pics! |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by steelwolf on 02/01/07 at 13:07:53 Texas? Not the Texas I drove through. Maybe on I-40. It was 890mi the way I went (I-10). I thought the paint would fade before I saw New Mexico. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by EntropyofMe on 02/01/07 at 14:18:19 steelwolf wrote:
LOL... yeah, it's pretty friggin huge. i was actually thinking about I-20. ok, just looked at a map... i retract that previous statement of halfway. that'll get you a quarter of the way across texas!! |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by scooter_07 on 02/01/07 at 16:24:26 Bondo is one of those products that's so good, it gets misused alot. Says on the can it's not for dents more than 1/4 inch deep, but that doesn't stop alotta people from building entire fenders with it. :o |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by TVR on 02/01/07 at 16:45:55 EntropyofMe wrote:
Chuckle...Yeah right! :D |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by smokin_blue on 02/01/07 at 18:04:49 No suggestion on the dents but I have a black one with a dent and a good scratch of much smaller size I would sell cheap if you want another one to work with. Drop me a note at P.martinson2@att.net if you are interested. Paul |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by YonuhAdisi on 02/01/07 at 19:28:06 Sent you an e-mail about that tank smokin_blue. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Paladin on 02/01/07 at 20:16:01 If I were you I'd get a replacement tank. Then, fix the old tank, while enlarging it thusly: http://paladin.savageriders.com/LL2007-1a.jpg Photochopped to slice the tank horizonally. (With the top half of the tank lifted, pounding out your dents would be next to nothing.) Add a 2 to 3 inch tall band of steel and silver-solder or braze back together. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Greg_650 on 02/01/07 at 21:30:15 Butt cheeks or knees, I think that you'll be better off getting a used tank and fixing that one.... Either way, it had to hurt whoever did that. Ouch. What else need fixin'? |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Jack_650 on 02/01/07 at 22:51:41 It was thoughtless of me not to mention that, now that there's to be a hawg tank on my yellow/orange 2k LS650, my old tank is more than willing to move on to a new home. The person who had the bike before me laid it down hard enough, I guess, that it needed a tank replacement. It's off of a '96 I believe as I think that was another year they did yellow. A different yellow and a different decal. It's got a scratch in the paint on the back top, but no damage to the tank metal itself. I had to cut the pegs off of the frame that the stock tank slides onto so it's not going back on, ever. What's a fair price with shipping? I live in south central Minnesota. That could include the pet-thang, the gas cap (with a key) and the speedo (and cable) , although I think I want to keep the lights that are in the speedo case to put into the handlebar brace or somwhere. And as long as we're talking parts I would really like to get my hands on a set of 11 1/2" to 12" shocks for this puppy as well. Money is an object, so the cheaper the better. I'm going to be trying to fabricate a hitch for this thing in the spring and I want the clearance for bag braces and any extra space for the hitch so as to be nowhere near the tire. To the fella who's planning a 3k+ mile trip, I did a 4,200 miler this last summer on mine and it was just great. Keep it a little below 70 mph and the vibrations aren't too bad. I did several 500 mile days just fine, although I have a V-Star seat on it and used a gel pad too for the trip home from Miami. Go for it. I did interstate, back roads and all over Miami, FL and the bike handled it with 180 pounds of me and probably close to another 100 pounds of stuff as well. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by sparkett on 02/02/07 at 03:29:09 old mechanics trick. get a foot ball, and deflate it. put in tank, and SLOWLY pump it up. tapping on the outside or use a small suction cup. pull on the dent. some times it works, some times not, but worth trying. ps keep the filling spot reachable, my kid brother sold a car with the football and hand pump in it ;D he couldnt reach to let the air out!!! |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by YonuhAdisi on 02/02/07 at 09:53:00 Jack_650 wrote:
How much would you want to part with it? All I would need is the tank itself, my speedo, petc0ck, and everything else is in perfect condition. Do you got any pics of it? |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Jack_650 on 02/02/07 at 14:20:47 I haven't a clue what the going rate for used savage tanks is. Whatever's fair plus shipping works for me. You check around, I'll check around. And maybe someone here can tells us what's a good deal for all concerned. As for pix, I can email you some if I get your address. There are no dents at all and just the scrape in the paint on top back near the seat. You're going to paint it anyway, right? |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by YonuhAdisi on 02/02/07 at 18:11:25 Jack_650 wrote:
My e-mail address is yonuhadisi@tds.net And yes, I plan on repainting the whole bike. Never was fond of the color green. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Greg_650 on 02/02/07 at 21:13:28 It doesn't look green in that itty bitty picture. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Fido_the_Cat on 02/03/07 at 18:52:10 Paladin wrote:
Paladin: How much time is involved or better question how much to have someone with the expertise fabricate a tank like that. BTW If the dents were from butt cheeks they would have taken the bike and we would not be having this conversation. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Paladin on 02/03/07 at 20:43:25 I have no idea. But I do know I do not want a wider tank, longer is not really an option, so taller is the only way to go if I want a higher capacity tank. The photochop job tells me it would not look bad. Probably would delete the speedo cavity, go with something handlebar mounted. It is on my list of "Things I would Like to try." If the dents are from butt cheeks, it wasn't the bike that was being riden. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by serowbot on 02/03/07 at 21:00:48 Fido_the_Cat wrote:
Huhh? Who is "butt cheeks"? And where and why would they take the bike? Are they in this with butt cheeks? I'm freakin'... a little... this butt cheeks dude is kinda' scary.... |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by sparkett on 02/04/07 at 06:41:28 That pic looks like it was vaccumed . or sealed too much at the cap. and run hot and empty,could have caused it.. I dont think there was any "trick riding" there. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Greg_650 on 02/04/07 at 08:50:48 sparkett wrote:
What part of the engine is gonna suck the tank in like that? The fuel pump? Inquiring minds wanna know??? |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by smokin_blue on 02/04/07 at 18:52:42 No fuel pump on a savage that I have found yet...unless you count gravity but I aways thought that sucked. ;D (you know they say gravity doesn't exist the whole world just sucks!! ;D ;D) If you want to run with the vacuum theory think a heated tank from a hot engine while sitting in rush hour in the hot sun and the pressure that builds up vents out through the gas cap (through vent or cap lifts slightly). Now pull in and park it in the cool garage the vent on the cap fails and the cap is sucked down tight as the air/gas inside cools off. Now at 14.5 psi of atmospheric pressure all around us and based on the size of the dents (say 4"x6" each so 48-50 square inches) you theoretically could reach a maximum of 350lbs force on each dented area. Might just do it. There is an old science trick where you heat a one gallon can over say a fire and then slap the cap on and let it cool. crushes like a pop can! personally I like the butt cheek theory. I have heard a lot of fun can be had on a parked bike! |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by YonuhAdisi on 02/04/07 at 18:53:35 Found a tank on e-bay, what is funny is the seller is in the same town I am living in. He is parting out an 87 Savage. Sent him a message to see if he is willing to do a little horse trading, cause I ain't got 40 bucks. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Rockin_John on 02/04/07 at 22:09:48 Greg_650 wrote:
Never heard of a venturi-powered vacuum pump? The low pressure caused by the venturi effect as in a carburetor can be a very powerful vacuum device. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by YonuhAdisi on 02/04/07 at 23:27:49 I just made one heck of a deal with the e-bay seller for that tank. He will give me what is left of the 87 he is parting out for a few of the parts I have that I can't use. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Reelthing on 02/05/07 at 04:50:54 congrats - the barter system, fine tax free way to go |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Jack_650 on 02/05/07 at 10:15:33 Just got my Harley tank back from the powder coaters. If you go the JB Weld route to fix dents, keep it as thin as possible. I had to use a fairly thick layer to plug the speedomter hole on the top of the tank and the difference in expansion and contraction from the heat make thick layers impossible to blend in and be invisible. KEEP IT THIN. Everything else is just beautiful. Even the aluminum 4 gallon aux tank that I hang on the back when needed turned out perfect. Rates may vary but it was $250.00 for both fenders, both tanks and the two side pieces. That's prep, coating and a sh-- load of extra time and effort the guys put in trying to make the thing work on top of the tank. I may have to put a clock or digital speedo up there or dig out the filler and spring for the dummy cap after all. And so it goes. Now to Midas soon to have them make the adaptor for my Sportster muff. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Greg_650 on 02/05/07 at 10:50:29 Rockin_John wrote:
People really have vivid imaginations. You're not gonna suck in a gas tank with the venturi in a carb, and taking a hot tank into a cool garage isn't gonna collapse it. I find it much more possible that we're looking at the shape of someones butt. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by TVR on 02/05/07 at 11:32:50 Greg_650 wrote:
Thats a pretty wide taint then! |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by YonuhAdisi on 02/05/07 at 11:47:16 Just picked up some of the parts from the e-bay seller, he will be delivering the rest of it later today. I swear, this deal is almost as good as the deal I made when I conned my brother-in-law into selling me his house for 2500 down and take over mortgage. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Rockin_John on 02/05/07 at 12:00:36 Greg_650 wrote:
So you are not familiar with a venturi vacuum tool? If you were, you wouldn't underestimate the power a few inches of mercury of vacuum is capable of... Imagine that. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Greg_650 on 02/05/07 at 13:09:12 I am very familiar with a venturi concept and the vacuum tool. I used venturi devices on robotic vacuum grippers I just wasn't aware of one inside the Mikuni carb. Guess that I'll go back to the schematics and study a bit more... |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Rockin_John on 02/05/07 at 13:43:31 Greg_650 wrote:
Fine Hoss, you know it all... Actually, I agree with you that someone's cheeks probably caused those particular dents. But I dissagree as to which way the person was facing. Think about it. ;D |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Greg_650 on 02/05/07 at 14:01:19 Rockin_John wrote:
Actually, I don't know it all. I just don't speak unless I know something. That lowers my error rate. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Rockin_John on 02/05/07 at 14:45:08 Greg_650 wrote:
Here's a motorcycle venturi concept for you to ponder (WARNING- anyone offended by exposure of human anatomy might not want to click this link): http://www.catoosatrading.com/images/funnies/venturi_theory.jpg There's a message in that picture about a particular whizzing contest attitude... Gives a whole new meaning to blow it out your azz huh? |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Reelthing on 02/05/07 at 20:24:27 beans and throw in a little cabage - might work....hum where's that gov'ment grant when you need one |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by justin_o_guy on 02/05/07 at 20:54:35 WOW, that's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen anybody do. What continent was that on? I hope not this one. If he's from Texas, tho, please let him be related to Bush. Then I could laugh.. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Greg_650 on 02/06/07 at 05:09:28 John Rockers on a roll. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Savage_Rob on 02/06/07 at 05:40:01 In the future, please save that sort of stuff for The Cafe. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by serowbot on 02/06/07 at 09:14:12 I imagine one of those "High-ho silver and away!" leaps onto the horse from the rear with a slight overshoot on the landing. Oooouchh! |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Hashbrown on 02/06/07 at 10:30:45 Hey man, i actually like the looks of it dented. It looks like a fedora hat. Pretty semetrical dents if you ask me. Save the money and keep the dents for character. Tell people its the only girl you will ever beat ::) |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Greg_650 on 02/06/07 at 11:32:38 Hashbrown wrote:
Yep. That's an option. Beat up the rest of the bike to match and then paint it gray and pink :P |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by YonuhAdisi on 02/06/07 at 14:26:51 Yeah but I think I like this look better. ;D ;D http://a315.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/10/l_83d1048a392a368576f48c4435a103aa.jpg |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Hashbrown on 02/06/07 at 14:32:06 wow, someone got and A in photoshop class |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by YonuhAdisi on 02/06/07 at 14:50:10 Actually that's not photoshopped, that's my new/used tank I picked up a couple of days ago from an e-bay seller who luck would have it lives in the same town as I do. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Greg_650 on 02/06/07 at 15:46:41 YonuhAdisi wrote:
Not bad. I thought photoshop at first too. I had to look at the first one again. Good job of getting just about the same view as the first shot. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by Hashbrown on 02/06/07 at 15:48:03 same tilt in the bars as well...tricky! |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by TheFid on 02/07/07 at 08:51:16 http://lifeisaroad.com/stories/2005/02/05/paintlessDentPulling.html This may help. |
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Title: Re: Beat up fuel tank...Help Post by YonuhAdisi on 02/07/07 at 08:55:36 I'll have to try that on the tank I just replaced. |
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