How to Remove Dents from a Motorcycle Tank | Complete Guide

[@Sainte305]

I just had my first wreck after four years of street riding. I have a decent sized dent that tore the paint up. Thanks for the tips, they will be handy here once I heal up.

[@deshawndarius]

Why’d you wreck

[@ardyt87]

Bicycle ​@@deshawndarius

[@lavielemond]

This is a quality video, mate...as a tradesman panel-beater (undertook an apprenticeship at a Honda - car - dealership down here in Oz in the '90s) & motorbike fanatic who has 'flipped' a few lightly damaged NSR250's, VTR 10000 SP1/SP2's & Fireblade 900/1000s after first kitting them out in HRC '94/Castrol/Repsol racing colourways (depending upon the bike in question), I'll now recommend this video to anyone with too many questions for me to answer when it comes to bike resto' jobs...cheers & best wishes from "Down Under" & have a great Xmas!!

[@lavielemond]

PS. While it's obvious that you're experienced when it comes to sanding filler, for first-time or even less experienced people sanding it I'd recommend a sanding block, at least to sand the section above the ridge line in the tank, while the section underneath the line is too concave for a hard block (although I would still recommend a thin, flexible sanding block to them for that region, rather than just using their fingers/hands when they've not yet developed the necessary 'feel')...otherwise inexperienced repairers usually push too hard with their fingers who sanding & thus end up with an irregular shape that's often too low in the middle & not evenly 'feathered' at the edges...just a thought...

[@McCoyWitham]

Recently crashed my motorcycle and this really helped a lot

[@richardbartlett4075]

Great video and I did not wreck my bike - luckily! Tank repair for a 1976 Yamaha RD400 drag bike which came with dents - motor ready - thanks for the help!

[@TheWhoamaters]

Trying to restore an '86 Honda VF500F with a rusty dented tank, here's one part of the repair at least. Thanks!

[@bryan2287]

Nice Work. I'm about to tackle my tank right now

[@beamerstearoom5657]

Good video, I do need to ask why you didn't try tapping the edges with a body hammer and then pulling? I have seen a lot of vids in the last week as I am about to do the same thing. I also was trained as a metalsmith, a dead blow hammer around the edges will help relax the metal edges.

[@AndyPutt1]

As you say tapping around the edges with a small soft blow hammer while pulling out from in front or pushing out from behind (if you have access) is the key to getting it out, or relieving the pressure in the metal (which is a better way to think about it as). I panel beated for a few years and have basic skills, but worked with some master panel beaters with decades of experience who would have had the skill to get a dint like these out possibly with any sign of it ever being there without any paint removal. Saw things like that on a daily basis and became reasonably good at it myself.

[@kevinnkadeslowrideraddicti216]

Does Bondo stick well to a outside gas tank??...Another Question, will it Crack due to expansion?

[@ToddSloanIAAN]

You got it down to clean-clean metal there you'll be all right. I think the worst enemy could be the ratio of hardener to Bondo wasn't good and another thing would be it wasn't cured.

[@JulianTheFrijoler]

What's better slide hammer dent repair or the one you used

[@mythicman8461]

After primer, how do you use (and where do you buy?) OEM paint color to blend into surrounding area? Special sprayer?

[@Sainte305]

You should be able to check the paint code for your bike with either the manufacturer or on your bike itself. And you just find the paint online and make sure the color code matches.

[@bigworm6635]

You needed to tap down the high spots, BIG TIME. That will help the dents come out easier, as well as actually getting them down even and make the body work look right. I do this for a living.

[@lavielemond]

I was going to say the same thing in my original post but didn't want to confuse people who may not 'get' it...of course, we both know that while pulling upon the dented sections, a few taps upon the high spots evens things out but I doubt that most first-timers would 'get' it. Anyway, in case anyone ever reads this comment, the best way to explain it to anyone who has never repaired metal before is that wherever there's a decent-sized concave section/dent, there's always going to be a 'high' area around it as well, as that metal has to go somewhere - unless it's a bad one that's stretched the metal but I'm not gonna 'hot shrink' the metal upon a fuel tank with an oxy' torch if it ever happened to me!! Anyway, this video is a nice, simple start for the previously uninitiated, IMO...

[@famabori]

He need a sanding block

[@olganicegirl]

@@lavielemond Would be great to post a how-to video so first timers can get it.

[@gregoryblair9810]

But a sanding block doesn't allow for curvature of the tank. Perhaps one of the flexible ones.

[@andrewcardenas612]

I have a 7 inch long dent on the right side of my tank. Tried the hot glue kit but it didn’t really do Much of it, but not sure if I need to take it to someone to fix or if I can do the second method in your video. Any tips or help would be great

[@wonderone7285]

Cheers boss, my dents are quite significant compared to this. This has helped me out with my progress

[@vozanderson8665]

What type of dent kit did you use?

[@marshab3895]

My dents on my Harley-Davidson Sportster tank wouldn’t budge with a dent pulling kit. Tried 2 different ones. Can’t get to it with dentless repair tools either. A friend wants to use a slide hammer to pull it out, but this will leave a hole in the tank and I’m not comfortable with Bondo being able to fill the whole properly. Any thoughts?

[@eksine]

Put a garden hose and wash out the gasoline, keep water I side to prevent explosion. Weld or use your slide hammer to pull out dent. Best to not make a hole or it could rust. When do e use a welder to fill on hole, again best to weld on the surface so you can grind it off. Drain water and let it fully dry inside.

[@LoxBeats]

if i went to a shop how much would they charge me to fix it ( give or take) ?

[@GrandpaWazi]

65-200 is the price ranges I found is no paint required

[@paulieboscobyrne7548]

What types of sand paper are used in this ??

[@bellarides7881]

How much would it take if i bring it to a motorcycle service center.

[@Bok2022st]

That was some good tips man I was really my bike out of the kitchen area as I keep it there cos people keep trying to steal it you're as that's where I keep my bike at night I lost balance and the tank hit the side of the fly screen door the hard main frame part of the door dammit which put a quite a sharp dent but very sharp I am wondering if I could fill it in with liquid steel as it is impossible to get down into the tank to push from the inside out it is only about 2 inches long buy 1 inch wide yeah if it is small and yes it is very annoying I will try liquid steel being as it is such a small dent it is sandable and paintable and dryers hard as Steel wish me luck I am going to need it but I do not want my bike to have a dent in its tank I love my iron horse more than most things other than my best mate my little Chihuahua lol

[@JohnEPratt]

Nice work, this may just solve a problem I created but I cannot find the puller you used. Please tell me who makes them and where you got them from.

[@guitarmaniac6491]

John E. Pratt you can get one at harbor freight

[@hallorid0006]

What body filler should i use and where to get it? which did you use??

[@TWIRKNOLOVE]

Bondo

[@bigworm6635]

Would help with your sanding if u didn’t hard line it, tape farther back and prep around the dent and area with 400-600 so u can blend the primer, easier and better prep ;)

[@jansonvincent4867]

Could you explain this in more detail? Not sure what "hard line it" means

[@aaronwinter447]

@@jansonvincent4867 Tape creates a crisp "hard line", rather than say a fade. You can make "soft" (faded) transitions by using rolled paper or some other method. Hard to describe in text.

[@nabeeljamshi]

Where can I buy the dent puller ?

[@Habstheehammer]

I have a similar dent. But does the tank has to be emptied before doing this method ?

[@TWIRKNOLOVE]

No

[@luisruiz5933]

Where can I get the body filling at?

[@tomasteel]

Thank you! I watched a few videos and this is the best yet on this subject !! Much appreciated :)

[@Koloherides]

Fill with water freeze with cap on dent gone by morning

[@MaxCaissie]

ACIM222 I wonder if pressuring with a pressure washer would work

[@HuxTheSergal]

I did that once, gas cap blew out, and dents were still there

[@SuperTechnicalman]

thanks. i'll give it a try

[@NoName-mt9dy]

Awesome video. Thank you.

[@ansarimobdhl20]

What body filler should i use

[@bigworm6635]

any type of bondo they call it.

[@dvlarry]

Clear and concise.

[@jaketrevino1659]

This is how you get way better results with the same tools. 1. Find your crowns 2. Glue tab to center of dent. 3. Use bar to pull tabe enough for the metal to want to start pulling out. Leave it with pressure. 4. Since your going to repaint anyways dont f@# around with a non marring hammer. Get a body hammer. Or a good flat faced hammer if you dont ever plan on doing body work again.use hammer to flatten crowns while continually applying pressure to center. You'll move the metal much easier. The crowns prevent the dent from releasing its built up pressure. That's why the op could never get the dents to actually pull out. Tap down your highs, grind and skim coat. Then primer. Do yourself a favor and look up how to mask a soft line for primer as those hard lines will be so hard to smooth out you'll most likely either: get them smooth but sand through your primer where your body work is at and probably get down to bare metal on the other side. Or your gonna thins its smooth and its gonna show like a mfer in the paint. 4.

[@kenwilson6850]

Flatten crowns while applying pressure! That sounds so right. Thanks!

[@corz114]

BIG thumbs up man! very useful

[@diedannuss2132]

Nice sv 650 man :)

[@miliee123]

Thanks for sharing man that was a good video it helped a lot

[@DasCayman]

Great job!!!

[@2ride_along]

I would like to see the afterwards but still good video

[@ganeshmhatre2926]

Wht is the name of glue?

[@TWIRKNOLOVE]

Its a glue gun. Go buy one and the glue sticks that feed the gun will be next to it for purchase too.

[@bhunso2823]

Nice and pretty 👍 that’s very helpful

[@djarielabal]

Thank you

[@am-fil]

Orientated is not a word. It's oriented.

[@WesleyJBullard]

“Pull our dents with body filler”

[@sennewam]

4 hours of glue gun?! No wonder body work is so expensive :P

[@eksine]

they usually weld steel rods into it and use a puller, much faster

[@alexgarcia3900]

This guy has no idea what he's doing

[@joeturpin607]

​@@eksine , only after cleaning the inside and purging with an inert gas I hope. Otherwise it'd be a surefire way to win a Darwin Award. For the typical weekend warrior, I'd say this is a much safer method.

[@eksine]

@@joeturpin607 well obviously it assumes you're not an idiot. And you don't fill with gas. You put a garden hose and fill with water, wash out the gasoline and obviously when you're done make sure the inside is totally dry, but again what I said assume that people are not idiots I mean if I have to explain to them that gas is flammable then I might as well just smash them over the head with a 2x4 and get it over with

[@joeturpin607]

@@eksine , well something tells me you would have been getting a workout otherwise;)

[@diogoantunes8085]

Funny i was also watching this cause of a dent on a SV650 ahahaha

[@antonysehter3937]

diogo antunes haha same

[@helloahkfhs]

@@antonysehter3937 same!

[@jerlaine1638]

Naturally it's an SV650 :/ coincidentally that's why I'm here

[@thomasnelson100]

Same

[@carnivoregains4631]

Stickers are also just as good

[@ronnelbeldia2626]

Nice 👍

[@georgegouvescrete3737]

If you see how the do in in india is very easy

[@BeyBoy17]

Do you understand what the word remove means? Filling a dent is not removing it

[@darksideofthemoon6927]

Has anybody tryed jb weld 🤔?

[@kenwilson6850]

Good idea. It'll hold way more than the glue but then never come off most likely.

[@ToddSloanIAAN]

It's got hope...

[@michaelrecomes7740]

Would be nice without the music it overpowers what you are saying.

[@maisonlittle9093]

You've obviously never seen a tank pressurized

[@eLu2198]

Thanks for your time man, this has been enlightening.

[@EvendimataE]

thats way too much hardener

[@jordanenriquezbitchnigga9117]

I don’t even know why I am watching this my bike doesn’t even have a gas tank like this mines a fz07

[@bigworm6635]

Same fkn process lol. That's like saying "OH MINES COLOR IS WHITE, THIS WONT WORK" lmao. He needed to tap down the high spots with hammer before pulling.

[@lavielemond]

@@bigworm6635 Great minds think alike again it seems, my friend!!

[@wookie08]

just buy a new tank lol

[@sraaguilar17]

$500 + so nah hommie

[@bigworm6635]

that would be dumb......find a real painter or bodyman like myself and that thing will look better than new....this guy is actually a beginner, I can tell. Im a professional.

[@bigworm6635]

@@sraaguilar17 Dam near get the whole bike painted for that. LOL I paint them all the time, bout $800-1000 full bike

[@TWIRKNOLOVE]

SV650 (his bike) tanks are always under $350 or so, new/used. Just find the same color if you're patient.

[@lowellirish]

Tanks costt $500-800

[@DelliHopp]

I wish he would just talk normal instead of trying to have a high pitched voice

[@SellswordCC]

I wish you would make your own damn tutorial.

[@lavielemond]

@@SellswordCC EXACTLY!! And the OP is a freaking female who either a) also has a high(ish)-pitched voice, or b) despite 'her' looks, has testicles hidden somewhere & likes to be referred to as 'they' rather than 'she'!!

[@1silvervespa]

Use a Block when rough sanding ....not fingers.

[@1silvervespa]

Remove any Wax first ..... That can ruin a job .