Motorcycle tank repair
Kirk Frei
dents in them? I work in a body shop and
a co worker that does a lot of tanks was SCARED to use a nail stud gun on a
tank. I'm lery also, the tank was drained with no gas but probably some
fumes. I suggested putting a vacuum in one end to draw fresh air in and then
use the stud gun.
May be fill with water, anyone have to deal with this issue? How do you guys
fix dents??? Thanks for any insight,
Kirk
Diode
> I know some here do custom paint on tanks. My question is how do you fix
<snip>
>
Let it air out and it will be fine. Put it near a fan to get air moving
in and out of it. Filling it with water may present other problems.
--
-|>|- Diode -|<|-
'68 L-79 Coupe
'79 Triumph Bonneville
Shut up, Dave.
Steven E. Eyrse
For the antique car gas tanks I have worked on I just fill them up
with water. Then weld on a stud. Have used compressed air but that
will only POP out very low and smooth dents on big surfaces. There is
also a body shop tool that is like a big C that almost touches. On
puts the hammer end under a fender and uses the outter end to line it
up to ding out a dent. But if a motorcycle tank would have a inlet
big enough to let it swing and work I don't know.
Steve E.
pop eye
tank. I don't see why this would not work for a stud gun.
hawgeye
I assume you're not talking about a nail stud gun used in construction.
If the tank has a strong odor of gas then let it air out for a few days.
The heat generated by the gun won't ignite the fumes. The only problem you
may run into is if there is some type of coating (i.e.. Kream) on the inside
of the tank. The heat may loosen or melt the coating in the spot where the
stud is welded on. Then again the dent didn't do much good for the coating
anyway.
I fix dented tanks all of the time. Never needed water, air, vacuum,
nitrogen, etc. and I've never had one go kaboom!
--
hawgeye
www.hawgeye.com
Kirk Frei
Kirk
"hawgeye" <hawg...@spamcast.net> wrote in message
news:JY7sc.101222$iF6.9395826@attbi_s02...
Clemson
Whenever welding around a gas tank, being lazy southerners, we didn't
want to empty it or drop it out. We actually filled it full of GAS.
The only danger is in the fumes themselves. Top the tank off, and you
are working with a rather safe (that still sounds strange 20 years
later) tank. I thought my "elders" were crazy, but (as I stood in a
far corner) it works.
Since then I've always gone that route. I wouldn't attempt this to
repair a dent though, as you still have to beat on the thing. It just
an amusing anecdote from my youth.
On Sat, 22 May 2004 18:50:15 -0500, "Kirk Frei"
<fang...@muscanet.com> wrote:
hawgeye
> This may sound extreme at first - but it's the way I was taught.
>
> Whenever welding around a gas tank, being lazy southerners, we didn't
> want to empty it or drop it out. We actually filled it full of GAS.
> The only danger is in the fumes themselves. Top the tank off, and you
> are working with a rather safe (that still sounds strange 20 years
> later) tank. I thought my "elders" were crazy, but (as I stood in a
> far corner) it works.
>
> Since then I've always gone that route. I wouldn't attempt this to
> repair a dent though, as you still have to beat on the thing. It just
> an amusing anecdote from my youth.
While whole gas is not flammable itself, the problem is not letting air get
to the gas.
All you need to do is go a little bit too long on your weld and you got a
hole in the tank especially with the thinner steel used on many Jap bikes.
This process may work for you but I certainly wouldn't try it and I wouldn't
suggest anyone else try it.
With today's stud welders there's no drilling or pounding and the only
sparks you'll have is when you grind the stud off.
--
hawgeye
www.hawgeye.com
Vern Enriques
I agree with Hawgeye. I've come from about 20 years
of the study of Fire Science, and my comment is from
this end. SAFETY.....oh how important it is.
If we know fire as it is....it burns because of just
the right amount of air mixed with fuel (gas fumes).
There's two extremes....the lower flammable (explosive) range and
the upper. On one side it's too lean to burn, and the other too rich.
Yes...like a cars carbureator adjustment. CORRECT....the perfect
mixture is in the middle. Then BOOM! Explosion, flash fire whatever
you wanna call it.
The reason that Clemson says that he had no problem was that he kept
the tank full all the time, which is keeping the mix in the rich end,
and hence....shouldn't really burn.
On the other side of the coin...an empty tank is worst. You actually
have a mixture of air in there, closer to the middle of that flammable
explosive range, making it more dangerous. Same goes for all flammable
vapors etc. Remember it's the 'gases' that burn and not the substance
itself. Ever notice that a candle flame doesn't actually burn the wick,
but burns away from the wick?
SORRY>....on and on! What I'm trying to say here guys is to be safe.
Fill it with inert gas, or water, do what you gotta do, but get that
gas fumes away from welding, shock etc.
...
I want all my airbrush friends to be safe.
Take care out there, and be safe.
From Hawaii....
Vern
Clemson
Too much work to do on it. I wouldn't even think of trying it on thin
metal - and to pull out a ding. Even if the weld went smoothly,
there's no guarantee you won't get a pinhole while pulling the stud.
It was more just an amusement from my youth of the insanity our
parents had. And an FYI if you ever needed to weld on/around a fuel
cell to keep it full if you can't remove it.