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Message started by Dave on 08/01/14 at 04:09:34

Title: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Dave on 08/01/14 at 04:09:34

I have moved this thread out of the Marketplace for Karen, as this discussion really belongs in the RSD.

Karen: Post your color scheme back here....I have lost that photo in the process of moving things around.

6D6F32616972060 wrote:

I just picked up a silver 06 S40 that has a large ding in the gas tank and the front fender is not very straight either. I'm guessing it's a common thing as I've seen a bunch of similarly dinged tanks while looking around (ebay mostly).

Color doesn't matter as I plan to have it all painted once I get everything together (tank, hard bags, etc).

If you don't have one, any suggestions where to find decent replacements (new or used) for reasonable prices?

Thanks a bunch!

edited to add: forgot, I need a stock muffler that hasn't been drilled...

Title: Re: WTB '06 S-40 Fuel tank and front fender
Post by S-P on 07/30/14 at 20:04:12

If you are going to paint the tank, why not just Bondo the dent in the existing tank?

Title: Re: WTB '06 S-40 Fuel tank and front fender
Post by Karen A on 07/30/14 at 20:23:23

That is an option, but I've never worked with Bondo before and unsure of my 'artistic merit'. LOL

Title: Re: WTB '06 S-40 Fuel tank and front fender
Post by S-P on 07/30/14 at 20:28:53

2F2D70232B30440 wrote:

That is an option, but I've never worked with Bondo before and unsure of my 'artistic merit'. LOL

It's not all that hard. The nice thing about Bondo is you can always sand it smooth if you get it too rough. Put it on, sand it off. For the finish use the filler finish stuff in the toothpaste tube then sand it out. Prime. If you don't like it, put more filler-finish stuff on it, sand and prime until you do.

Title: Re: WTB '06 S40 Fuel tank, front fender, stock exh
Post by HondaLavis on 07/30/14 at 21:37:14

Many people are happy with HD Dyna mufflers. However if you are convinced that you want a stock muffler, You can have mine for shipping + 10.

Title: Re: WTB '06 S40 Fuel tank, front fender, stock exh
Post by Karen A on 07/31/14 at 06:46:47

re: the front fender, I can't PM until I've hit 10 posts. LOL go to the website I've linked (in my profile) and you can email me from there and i'll get back with you.

thanks.

Title: Re: WTB '06 S40 Fuel tank, front fender, stock exh
Post by markallan00 on 07/31/14 at 10:38:45

Before you pay for a tank, try this... can't hurt to try. http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1172934976

Title: Re: WTB '06 S40 Fuel tank, front fender, stock exh
Post by Karen A on 07/31/14 at 18:12:40

2B27342D272A2A27287676460 wrote:

Before you pay for a tank, try this... can't hurt to try. http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1172934976

we thought of that, but this dent is considerable. about 4" across and probably 1" deep at the worst... so it's going to take some serious work to fix... and yes, tank is creased where the metal folded a bit, probably slightly stretched in parts too.

Title: Re: WTB '06 S40 Fuel tank, front fender, stock exh
Post by Seaweednh on 08/01/14 at 04:03:07

there are a few other methods that work too. One is to put compressed air to the tank, be careful not to put to much and pop the dent out.

The second method and a very effective one is to sand the paint down to bare metal. Clean ALL of the fuel out of the tank followed by a kerosene rinse. The clean the tank a couple more times with a hot soapy water bath ( by cleaning. this is inside the tank) Now you get a bowl of cold water and a rag, and a propane torch. Put heat to the dented section of the tank in small areas starting at the shallowest part of the tank. You heat it briefly, then quickly cool it with that wet rag. Continue to do this until the dent comes out. If you are nervous with flame near your tank after cleaning, put some dry ice in it and put the cap on or even tape over the hole and put a small vent hole in the tape.

Another method that duplicates the above but without flame is to go to your local body shop that has an electric dent puller. They have "shrinking tips" that fit these guns. You can also buy one of these guns at Harbor Freight. Personally I hate their tools. Once again if you take it to a body shop, make sure the tank is prepped as the above.

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Greg on 08/01/14 at 04:17:19

When I was a kid, my dad and I used to have to repair my dented gas tanks on my dirt bikes quite often. We will fire up the air compressor and get the air nozzle ready to go, seal up the top of the tank with a couple of rags, give it a burst air, and most all of them, except the ones with sharp creases, came out without a problem.

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Dave on 08/01/14 at 04:25:31

Yep, our bike is considered a "learner" bike and as such, they get a lot of drops while folks are figuring out how to ride. In the process the bikes pick up some scrapes, dents and broken turn signals.

Using compressed air and torches might just be a bit beyond what she can do - seeing as BONDO is a new concept for her. I might even believe that Karen doesn't own a set of torches, and that unlike some of us, she hasn't spent endless hours breathing gasoline and paint fumes.

I would suggest that she continue to look for a "second" tank, and fenders to work on. That way she does not have to stop riding while her tank and fenders are being painted and/or she experiments with her body shop skills. She can use the bike with the side panels removed - and finding extra side panels can be a bit tough.

Ultimately to get the paint color scheme she wants, she most likely is going to need a professional to spray the paint for her, and fixing a tank dent will most likely be a part of the process.

Karen: Tell us a bit about your abilities....and how you expect that the paint update will happen. Do you expect it will be something you can do yourself - or do you have some professional help in your plan?

MUFFLER - I am not a fan of loud bikes either, and the DYNA muffler turned out to be a very nice sound on the Savage. They are louder than the stock muffler - but are not obnoxious. They are cheap and easy to come by, and the local Craigslist, eBay or the Marketplace on this forum you should be able to get a pristine one for $ 40, and a less then perfect one for much less. I suggest you buy the RYCA angle adapter - it makes the process of fitting the muffler much easier with less fiddling.

Dave

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Karen A on 08/01/14 at 07:23:09

48737E6978746F69727A77681B0 wrote:

oh I've got access to all that. Hubby does automotive repair, but NOT body work, so I haven't ever had any exposure to that kind of thing. we've got welders, torches, air, etc. but his professional opinion was that the dent would not be fixable by those methods... once I get it on the road (brakes are a MUST, tires are next in line) I can go by some body shops and get their opinions maybe.

forgot to add, I plan to take the parts to someone to have that done. Hubby does have a paint sprayer but he uses it for minor touch ups, not full part jobs. and I'm comfortable turning my own wrenches when needed, but I usually take it to the shop where he works so that I have access to his tool box. ;D

here's the color scheme I want... it's still a nice enough bike to be worth painting. (The prior Rebel 450 died a slow death of rust from prior neglect)

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by verslagen1 on 08/01/14 at 07:34:48

4C494E4542482B0 wrote:

Be very careful with this technique, we pressure test steel ducting all the time and when they go it's like a bomb going off with shrapnel going everywhere and tearing thru flesh easily. You need to submerge it under a foot of water to be safe. Then if it goes, you just get wet.

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Karen A on 08/01/14 at 07:37:32

also wanted to add, I've found a replacement stock muffler, so that's taken care of. The person who posted the fender, I can't send PM's yet (but should soon) - but I get paid next Friday so... ;)

if the bike had come in the cobalt blue I'm wanting, I would just look for a new tank that color, but since I'm going to have to shell out to paint it, used or repaired would be my next bet.

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Todd James on 08/01/14 at 10:44:50

+1 on Versy's caution about filling the tank with compressed air.
That could be very dangerous.

Another option: Fill the tank completely with water then use a
small bicycle pump to pressurize it. That's how we test pump
casings to failure. When they break the water runs out, but
no explosion from the large volume of compressed air.

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by WD on 08/01/14 at 13:05:08

I would not use compressed air, freezing full of water, or my old standby, a small explosion, to pop a dent out of a flanged metric fuel tank. Harley Davidson or Indian welded heavy gauge steel, older European welded aluminum, older European welded steel, sure, no problem. A flanged tank is usually spot welded and then soldered, and the seam itself is a weak spot.

The factory tank is pretty thin in the larger radius curves, when my stepson crashed my 98 model a piece of gravel punctured the tank.

As far as the cobalt paint, get in touch with Color-Rite, order some Kawasaki Mean Streak paint, have it sprayed. As often as I change the color scheme on my toys, I use Rustoleum out of basic spray cans. But, and this is a big but, stuff I plan to leave as built for awhile gets real catalyzed enamel of some kind, usually tractor paints.

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by arteacher on 08/01/14 at 17:28:03

I bought a tank with the intention of having it chromed. When the platers stripped it there was some repaired dents in it. They sent it to a guy who restores tanks for classic rebuilds and for $100 it was repaired suitable for chroming (in other words- perfectly).
Take a trip to a local high end chrome plating shop and see what can be done.
If you are going to paint it anyway, probably bondo is the way to go. It's not hard to learn how to do it.

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Kris01 on 08/01/14 at 18:47:36

Just out of curiosity, what did it cost you to chrome the tank?

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Serowbot on 08/01/14 at 19:08:59

We pulled about 95% of a couple of dents, last year,.. using a dent puller gadget, that uses a sort of suspended bridge mechanism and a hot glue suckerplate...
It don't scratch paint, and releases easily after a few minutes... We did it a half dozen times on each dent, while shifting the position a little each time... (won't be perfect on a creased dent, but would make it need much less bondo)...
...about $10 at various auto places or internet...
http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v1/1291555092/-font-b-Dent-b-font-font-b-Puller-b-font-Bodywork-Panel-Remover-Tool-Car.jpg

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by arteacher on 08/01/14 at 20:35:51

734A514B0809380 wrote:

Just out of curiosity, what did it cost you to chrome the tank?

It just so happens that one of the best chrome platers( they get restoration and custom work from all over North America) is here in London Ont. They are called Plating Master, and they are expensive. That said, it cost $500, and the job is perfect.
http://p1.bikepics.com/2013/10/03/bikepics-2602885-800.jpg

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Kris01 on 08/02/14 at 11:27:43

Ouch! I was thinking it wasn't going to be cheap! I guess if you get what you pay for then perfection is worth every penny of $500.

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Dave on 08/03/14 at 06:47:38

467F647E3D3C0D0 wrote:

Ouch! I was thinking it wasn't going to be cheap! I guess if you get what you pay for then perfection is worth every penny of $500.

A professional paint job with dent removal most likely would cost close to that amount. Paint supplies and labor doesn't come cheap anymore. I bet I spent close to $ 300 for the primer, base coat, clear coat, sand paper, tape and buffing materials I used to paint my bike.

Title: Re: Fuel Tank Dent Repair
Post by Karen A on 08/03/14 at 16:28:02

Quote:

yeah I was figuring 300-500 or so...

saw a 67 mustang go by today that was the exact color I want. LOL then again I wouldn't mind having the mustang either. ;)