Fixing a HUGE dent in a Motorcycle gas tank

Submitted by dannix on Tue, 09/15/2020 - 16:45

My friend is leaving his 1973 Honda CB125 at my place and its gas tank has this huge dent in it:

large dent in motorcycle gas tank

So I started working on it. I took a small crowbar and tried to push out the dent from the inside. I could get the end of the crowbar inside the tank and hit the other end with a hammer. The results were predictably not great but I did make some progress. 

removing a large dent in motorcycle gas tank

Next I grabbed my MIG welder and welded on some finish nail, just like a stud welder. 

popping dent in motorcycle gas tank

Then I pulled the studs with a homemade stud puller made out of a vice grip, a long bolt, and a large socket used for the weight. The bolt was welded onto the handle end of the vice grip, with the socket on the bolt. The head of the bolt is large enough so that the socket does not slide over it, and the bolt is long enough so that the socket and slide down it, hit the head of the bolt, and give a good tug on whatever the vice grip is attached too. 

popping dent in motorcycle gas tank

One round of stud pulling wasn't enough so I welded on some more nails:

pulling dent in motorcycle gas tank

pulling dent in motorcycle gas tank

pulling dent in motorcycle gas tank

I tried to keep the graphic but it was doomed.

removing large dent in motorcycle gas tank

removing large dent in motorcycle gas tank

Bondo and high-build primer added and sanded:

painting motorcycle gas tank

Color coat. I found a can of Rustoleum's "Custom" lacquor paint that looked like a close color match...

painting motorcycle gas tank

...but it wasn't as close of a match as I hoped it would be.

painting motorcycle gas tank

A coat of clear lacquor helped the sheen blend a little better:

painting motorcycle gas tank

2nd coat of clear:

painting motorcycle gas tank

And last but not least I fixed the graphic! I used Rustoleum enamel, brush-on not spray paint. 

1973 honda cb125 gas tank

1973 honda cb125 gas tank

1973 honda cb125

So there ya have it. I hope somebody finds this helpful!!

-Danny