Tank Dents - Pull Them Out or Fill Them In?

[DGXSER]

If anyone asks, just say:-
"It's lucky I was wearing my cast iron jockstrap."

Better yet, just say "yeah, they are brass!"

[TomB]

For any dents that big I always drill a hole in the bottom of the tank where it can't be seen, say 3/4" diameter, then using a wood dowel with a radiused end and hammer, gently knock out the dents. Gently is the way, if you hit too hard you stretch the metal which is a bitch to shrink back. Lots of small gentle taps taking plenty of time, and as XJOK2PLAY says if the "body line" is lost a little it can be gently hammered back in line from the outside. The whole lot will then need a thin skim of filler before paint, or if you do a good job just spray primer filler.

Before painting I weld a disc over the hole in the bottom, the exhaust pipe in the tank method is good for excluding oxygen (one 3rd of the fire triangle, oxygen, fuel, ignition) saying that I never bother, simply washing the tank out with soap and water and weld whist still water wet, I've lost count of the amount of tanks I've welded without problem.

[trbig]

When I got my XJ, the tank was pristine. I had it to one side on the floor of my garage while I was tearing into one or other of the motors yet again, and my kid knocked over my mountain bike looking for something. Of course the handlebar hit it square and put a dent in th eside. After a few obscenities aimed at my first born.. reminding him that he could be replaced by the 2nd born, I picked up the tank and moved it away from him and that side of the garage, with explicit parental roll model warnings of "Watch what the h@ll you're doing, idiot!"... or something along those lines.

A couple hours later, I went to the car where I had a replacement motor in the trunk, picked up the motor and was carrying it into the garage... and stepped on the back of that d@mn tank I had moved earlier in just about the same area yours is dented. Somehow, it was still the kid's fault...

It has been fixed/filled with bondo and repainted and has lasted a couple years now (I think.. not exactly sure) but wish I hadn't now. I would REALLY like to get the tank powder coated. It's cheaper than getting it painted (Unless you do a rattle can job) and nearly indestructible. If I had used a metal based filler, it may have cost a bit more, but I could still use powder coat... which won't work with Bondo.

Tod