Topic: paintless dent removal

[Vintage wheels]

  I have a 1971 cb 750 K0 with a small dent on top of the gas tank. I would like to try to have  the dent removed via  the Paintless Dent Removal system by a professional. Has any body had this done on 40 year old original paint with good results?  Do you think the paint would crack?  thanks!

[Kong]

Good question, but the bodyman should know.  This is just a guess, and maybe a bad guess at that, but if I was going to try to pry one out I'd probably have someone hold a heat-gun around the work area in the hope it might help the paint become more pliable.  Of course it might just have the opposite effect, make the paint as crispy as a potato chip.  Have a talk with your body guy first, tell him what your concern is.  Then its just a matter of how much trust you place in what he's told you.

[KCbarsos]

i tried using the home "pops a dent" you buy from the auto parts store on a 3" circumference size dent on my k3 750's tank. it didnt do much. the paint is still there, but so is the dent. 

[greenjeans]

The depth matters more than the actual size.    Usually if they are shallow dents- say 1/8" or so, they can be rubbed out pretty effectively.    Also, if there isn't a crease in the metal you should be good.

I am a genuine supporter of paintless dent repair.   My car got nailed in a hail storm and had over 50-75 small dents that were very visible.

Half a day later, it looked new again.  AMAZING

Ask around and find reputable paintless guys.  There are a bunch that just follow hail storms around the country - some are good, some not so good.
Most body shops should be able to recommend one that perhaps has a soft spot for old classics.

[Xnavylfr]

I have used this to remove small creasless dents in AIRCRAFT skins,
Heat the area with a heat gun (HOT TO TOUCH) and quickly lay DRY ICE on the dent. This shrinks the metal so fast that it usually pops the ice out of your hand.
Just another trick to try!!!


Xnavylfr(CHUCK)

[S_Spiff]

I'm curious to hear how this turns out-not only the paint issue but the dent removal too.  When I was bike shopping (as if bike shopping has a beginning or end), I called a couple local paintless dent removal places for estimates after seeing a bike I liked-but for the dented tank.  Both places basically turned down the business without looking at it.  They said that for bike tanks they often had no luck getting their tools to the backside of the repair. Perhaps they had other reasons, but they were pretty discouraging.

[gecko672]

I saw this video a while ago. Im sure a professional could do it no problem.
http://youtu.be/zfRya_ke8Ps?t=19s

[Gonzowerke]

This is so easy, it's a crime. I fixed a dent on the top of my 78K this way, and there is a video somewhere on youtube of someone fixing a trunk dent this way. I don't know if a hair drier is hot enough, I used a heat gun. Get your gun, and a can of that keyboard cleaner "air" spray, Heat the dent until you can't touch it, then go a little longer. Turn the can of keyboard cleaner upside down so it sprays liquid, then spray the hot dent with the liquid from the keyboard cleaner. POP! it will come right out. Metal has a "memory", and heating it expands it, then the liquid in the can rapidly cools it to below zero, shrinking it suddenly, popping the dent out. It's like snapping a sheet.

[greenjeans]

Imagine a long screw driver...  If you can get that in your tank and reach where the dent is, the paintless guys will be able to smooth the dent out.    Basically they have tools that resemble long spoons.  They work circles on the metal on the inside/underside of the dent - eventually pushing it back out.

That's the limitation with mc tanks and paintless dent repair.   It they can't get to it, they can't fix it. 
But, if they can get their tools to it, I really think it's the best option.

[Win1876]

One other thing that makespaintless repair work is thethinner sheet metal in today cars.  The honda tanks were made back when they used thicker metal, so it may not work as well.

[Danno]

I have used paintless dent repair on a lot of these old bikes none of the bikes I have are less than 30 years old the only time I have ever had trouble with paint was on a modern pickup I have never had any of the old bikes paint lift while removing dents